Regulators have approved a massive space mirror project to beam light to Earth, sparking fears it could blind pilots and ruin night sky astronomy
A controversial plan to beam daylight down from space has cleared a major hurdle, despite warnings that the technology could blind airplane pilots and wreck views of the night sky. Tech start-up firm Reflect Orbital has won approval from the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to launch a test satellite fitted with a massive orbital mirror.
The ambitious company claims its “sunlight on demand” system will blast a beam of light roughly five kilometres wide down to Earth, pitching it as a game-changer for solar farms, agriculture and night-time search and rescue missions.
However, experts and scientific bodies have raised the alarm over the side-effects of shining super-bright light beams from orbit.
In a scathing statement, the American Astronomical Society said: “This harm could include damage to sensitive research telescope equipment, potential flash-blinding of pilots and drivers and – as Reflect Orbital stated in its own FCC filings – potential permanent eye damage to anyone looking through a mid-sized telescope.”
Despite the dire predictions, the FCC said that safety concerns outside radio and satellite frequencies fall beyond its regulatory scope.
While the initial approval covers just one prototype craft, named Earendil-1, Reflect Orbital has huge ambitions, reports CBC News.
The company plans to launch a jaw-dropping constellation of 50,000 orbiting mirrors by 2035, adding to the millions of commercial satellites already proposed by tech giants like SpaceX and Blue Origin.
Legal and international space authorities are now questioning how the project fits into global space law.
The United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) pointed out that while the 1967 Outer Space Treaty allows free exploration, it isn’t a free-for-all.
A UNOOSA representative said: “Nothing in the treaties prohibits placing a reflective object in orbit. But such an activity is very far from unregulated.
“It is subject to due regard and consultation obligations owed to every other State. And any State that considers itself affected is entitled to raise it.”
Space law expert Ram Jakhu, professor emeritus at McGill University, believes governments will eventually step in.
He said: “I think, in five, ten years, you will see something done about it, not only talk and talk… The whole issue of night sky, light pollution, these things, they are being addressed, but nothing has been decided yet.
“But I think there will be serious concerns and discussion, something we can see in the near future. The night sky is very important. But…astronomers are not a major player in geopolitics.”
Astronomers argue that Reflect Orbital severely underestimates the disruption light pollution causes.
Beyond hitting telescopes directly, reflected light scatters throughout the atmosphere, washing out the darkness required to observe deep space.
However, Reflect Orbital claims it wants to work within official boundaries. A spokesperson for the firm said: “We recognise that responsible deployment at scale requires clear rules.
“We welcome oversight and want to play an active role in shaping it. We believe it is our responsibility to work alongside governments, scientists and regulators rather than ahead of them.”