In the era where people can buy anything, be it groceries, luxury, or even people to talk to, a US-based startup plans to sell sunlight. The startup aiming to have a sun that never sets has planned to launch mirrors in space to reflect sunlight on Earth.

In Hawthorne, California, a startup, Reflect Orbital, is developing an ambitious plan to launch 50,000 mirrors into space to reflect sunlight to Earth after dark.

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The startup's goal is to create a "constellation" of satellites carrying large mirrors that can direct sunlight onto the night side of the planet as a way of providing artificial light at night.

This artificial light could:

  • Extend the working hours of solar farms
  • Assist with emergency search and rescue operations
  • Provide light to cities and remote areas

How The Plan Works?

Reflect Orbital is set to soon begin testing its prototype satellite, named Earendil-1, to determine if this concept will work. As per the concept, the startup aims to launch a dorm fridge-sized prototype featuring a 60-foot-wide mirror designed to reflect sunlight onto a three-mile-wide patch, which, when viewed from Earth, would appear as bright as a full moon.

Reflect Orbital's future satellites will be much larger than the Earendil-1. For example, they plan to develop satellites with mirror sizes of up to 180 feet in diameter, which would have the ability to illuminate an area equal to the light of 100 full moons.

Sunlight At USD 5000

Reflect Orbital anticipates charging USD 5,000 per hour for the use of each mirror while developing bulk contracts for long-term use, according to a New York Times Report.

According to astronomer Michael Brown, there will not be much light reflected from the mirrors, only a small fraction of natural sunlight. Therefore, it will require hundreds or thousands of satellites to emit enough reflected light to match the amount of light generated by the Sun during the day.

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Key Concerns:

  • Light pollution affecting telescopes
  • Disruption of circadian rhythms in humans and animals
  • Impact on wildlife, migration, and plant cycles
  • Potential distraction for aircraft pilots

Organisations like the American Astronomical Society say regulations for such space activities are still unclear. "We just don’t have a regulatory process for these types of novel space activities yet," NYT quoted Roohi Dalal, an astronomer and director of public policy at the American Astronomical Society.

The company has applied for approval from the Federal Communications Commission. If cleared, the first satellite could launch as early as this summer.