FCC approves startup’s space mirror to reflect sunlight to dark parts of Earth

Technology FCC approves startup’s space mirror to reflect sunlight to dark parts of Earth Comments: by Ryan Mancini - 07/14/26 5:46 PM ET Comments: Link copied by Ryan Mancini - 07/14/26 5:46 PM ET Comments: Link copied

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The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) approved a startup business’s request to build and launch a mirror satellite that would reflect sunlight back toward the dark parts of Earth.

Reflect Orbital of Hawthorne, Calif., received the FCC’s approval on July 9. The company’s goal is to launch an experimental satellite, Eärendil-1, and operate it in low Earth orbit.

“This ruling is hugely validating for our company and reflects America’s leadership in testing innovative space technology,” Reflect Orbital announced in a statement. “We’re excited to validate the guardrails we have built into our technology to mindfully operate our test satellite. Being good stewards of space is critical to the success of this incredible technology.”

Reflect Orbital added that it exists “to demonstrate that sunlight from space can be an important part of humanity’s clean-energy future and provide critical lighting at night to save lives.”

Eärendil-1, named after a character in “The Lord of the Rings,” would illuminate areas 5 to 6 kilometers in diameter for brief periods of time using an 18-meter reflector, Wired reported. Reflect Orbital has a tool on its website that allows people to simulate what the satellite would do and how lit up these dark parts of Earth would be, appearing as though it was daytime.

The company argues on its website that the satellite would charge solar panels at night and allow power companies to not rely on increased fossil fuel usage, which contributes to climate change.

“The reflected light is diffuse and nearly identical to natural daylight conditions,” the company said in a report released in April. “It would not be concentrated solar power and would not involve lasers or artificial lighting. Just as importantly, this approach works with existing solar infrastructure. Panels, inverters, interconnection capacity, and land can all be utilized more effectively.”

The company’s mission and goals have been met with criticism from scientists. The FCC received nearly 2,000 public comments during its regulatory review process of the satellite. The American Astronomical Society, the Royal Astronomical Society and DarkSky International were among the bodies warning about the satellite’s impact on aviation safety, ecosystems and learning astronomy.

DarkSky International, an organization focused on limiting light pollution and promoting “responsible outdoor lighting,” stated last week that it was evaluating any legal options to prevent the satellite from being launched and used.

“The FCC concluded that it lacks the authority to evaluate the environmental impacts of an orbital solar reflector, limiting its review to radiofrequency spectrum,” DarkSky stated. “This leaves critical concerns—including impacts on wildlife, astronomy, public safety, and the nighttime environment—largely unaddressed and highlights a significant gap in how emerging space technologies are regulated.”

The organization warned that the satellite could degrade nocturnal ecosystems and accelerate biodiversity loss. It also warned that it could disrupt human wellbeing — specifically sleep, metabolic processes and hormonal cycles — and could cause eye damage.

“Moving beams of light from space-based mirrors could create sudden flashes, glare, or sweeping illumination patterns if systems malfunction or mirrors fail to stow,” Darksky said in a statement against the satellite in December 2025. “These effects pose risks to night vision, aircraft operations, drivers, and observers using binoculars or telescopes.”

The organization also argued that the reflected light could negatively impact astronomical observations on the ground and potentially damage sensitive instruments used at observatories. Potential debris caused by micro-impacts could add “to an already crowded orbital environment.”

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