Earlier this year, the US Federal Communications Commission approved the construction and launch of a prototype mirror satellite designed to reflect the Sun’s rays onto patches Earth during nighttime, despite widespread protests by the astronomy community.
The “sunlight-as-a-serivce” concept being developed by space startup Reflect Orbital has proven highly controversial, with astronomers pointing out the obvious existential risks of having up to tens of thousands of satellites lighting up the night sky.
Earlier this month, as Sky and Telescope reports, Reflect Orbital conducted an early test of the idea by lighting up a mountainside in the California desert with powerful spotlights to simulate the future capabilities of its reflecting satellites. However, the company gave no notice to local astronomers, further enraging them.
A promotional photo shared by the company shows a bright orb in the distance, casting long shadows of low brush near Lone Pine, California, a level of brightness exceeding a full Moon. Local officials and even the local county government were seemingly blindsided by the test, and it remains unclear how — or whether — the company got permission for it in the first place.
Reflect Orbital remains adamant that reflecting sunlight could be a game changer for solar power generation, aiding during search and rescue missions, and responding to natural disasters. However, astronomers say the bright beams could not only ruin observations, they could potentially permanently damage the eyes of unsuspecting amateur astronomers if they were to directly peer at the satellites through telescopes.
Besides these concerns, other scientists have pointed out that the major source of additional light pollution could harm nocturnal animals.
“There’s no nice way of doing this,” Princeton University astrophysicist Gaspar Bakos told Sky and Telescope. Artificial sunlight is “essentially ignoring all the progress we have made for the past many decades in bringing awareness to and decreasing light pollution.”
Experts have pushed back against Reflect Orbital’s claims that the beams will be controllable and “dimmable.” One recent paper authored by Bakos and his colleagues found that the beams could light up surroundings over 18 miles past the intended spot, which could prove catastrophic for astronomers.
“This is not a ‘concern’ — this is like a bullet in your head,” he Bakos told Sky and Telescope. “It’s the end of ground-based astronomy.”
Others fear that Reflect Orbital’s satellites will be used for other nefarious purposes, like enabling mass surveillance, while attracting clients from the military industrial complex.
The startup’s efforts raise nagging questions over who has authority over the night sky. Reflect Orbital is seeking to launch its early test satellites from India, efforts seen as a way to skirt around US regulatory approval.
It’s not just astronomers crying foul, either. Climate scientists are equally appalled.
“This is an idiotic project,” environmental group Earthjustice senior attorney Jan Hasselman told The Guardian. “There are a huge number of unresolved questions and significant potential impacts.”
“Literally all of life on Earth evolved based on the rhythm of day and night and there is a ton of data showing that messing with this is not a good idea,” he added.
Others pointed out how the plan flies directly in the face of existing efforts to reduce the amount of radiation back on Earth.
“Some people are promoting the already unhinged idea of installing space mirrors facing away from the Earth to reflect the sun’s energy in order to decrease global warming,” University of Hawaii climate scientist David Ho told The Guardian. “Imagine wanting to turn those mirrors around so that the Earth gets hotter.”
More on Reflect Orbital: Astronomers Horrified by Enormous Mirror Satellite That Reflects Sunlight Back Down to Earth at Night
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