Tag: light pollution
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Plan to Reflect Sunlight from Space for Night-Time Solar Power Sparks Astronomers’ Alarm
Raising the Brightness Ceiling: Reflect Orbital’s Night-Sunlight Redirect A California startup, Reflect Orbital, is pursuing a controversial path to extend solar farm operation into the night by reflecting sunlight from space. The company has asked the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for permission to launch a demonstration satellite in 2026, aiming to build a constellation…
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Reflect Orbital’s Night-Sunlight Plan Sparks Astronomers’ Alarm
Overview: A Bold Idea Meets a Storm of Stars and Skepticism A California startup, Reflect Orbital, has proposed a controversial approach to keeping solar farms running after sunset. By deploying mirrors in space to redirect sunlight to Earth on demand, the company aims to extend daytime-level energy production into the night. The concept, if scaled…