The Federal Communications Commission has authorized California startup Reflect Orbital to deploy and operate a demonstration satellite carrying a 59-by-59-foot reflector designed to direct sunlight onto a five-kilometer-wide area of Earth at night, rejecting the American Astronomical Society’s request to block the mission.
The FCC’s Space Bureau approved radio operations and an orbital debris plan for Earendil-1 on July 9. The single satellite would operate in a near-polar orbit about 625 kilometers, or 388 miles, above Earth.
The agency said the limited mission would test an emerging technology and help determine whether the concept works. However, the FCC said its authority covered the satellite’s communications systems and debris mitigation, not the reflector’s broader effects on optical astronomy or the environment.
How the satellite would work
Reflect Orbital plans to deploy an 18-by-18-meter steerable thin-film reflector. The company says the satellite will direct a five-kilometer-wide light footprint toward an approved location.
The company’s public roadmap says its first satellites would provide 0.1 lux of illumination, comparable to a full moon, for about five minutes. Reflect Orbital says customers could eventually order “sunlight on demand” for solar facilities, disaster response, remote work sites, agriculture, defense operations and outdoor events.
Reflect Orbital lists more than 1,000 satellites in its plans for 2028, more than 5,000 by 2030 and more than 50,000 by 2035. The FCC order covers only Earendil-1, not any future commercial constellation.
Astronomers warn of research and safety risks
More than 1,800 individuals submitted letters to the FCC, and astronomical, scientific, public health and environmental organizations also filed comments. The American Astronomical Society filed the only formal petition to deny the application.
“The American Astronomical Society (AAS) is dismayed by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) decision,” the group said after the approval.
The AAS warned that reflected light could damage sensitive telescope equipment, flash-blind pilots or drivers and potentially injure people who view the satellite through a mid-sized telescope. Reflect Orbital says its system will confine light to requested locations, avoid sensitive areas and remain safe even when viewed through a telescope.
The FCC denied the AAS petition and said concerns about optical astronomy “fall outside our review and authorization.” The order requires Reflect Orbital to honor its commitments to coordinate with NASA, the National Science Foundation and the broader astronomy community, but the AAS criticized the FCC for not requiring a formal coordination agreement.
FCC declines broader environmental review
Commenters also warned that artificial light at night could disrupt circadian rhythms, migration, reproduction and predator-prey relationships. The FCC found that the record did not show a specific significant environmental effect from one limited test satellite and declined to require an environmental assessment.
The FCC separately approved Earendil-1’s debris mitigation plan. Reflect Orbital told the agency that the satellite would use propulsion for collision avoidance and would leave orbit within one year after its mission ends, even without active deorbit maneuvers.
Earendil-1 will test whether Reflect Orbital can deploy, steer and control the reflector as planned. Any larger constellation would face a separate regulatory review.
Provided by Dallas Express
