FCC Approves Reflect Orbital's First Space Reflector Constellation Launch

• The FCC has approved the first demonstration launch of the Eärendil-1 satellite by Reflect Orbital, which features an 18-meter-wide deployable solar reflector.
• The company aims to establish a constellation of over 50,000 such reflectors in low Earth orbit by 2035 to provide on-demand sunlight for purposes like disaster relief, agriculture, and extending work hours.
• Astronomical organizations and researchers are raising significant concerns regarding the project's impact on night sky observations and potential risks to wildlife and aviation.

Project Scope and Technology

• The Eärendil-1 satellite will operate in a near-polar orbit at a 625-kilometer altitude.
• Reflect Orbital plans to launch three initial test reflectors at three-month intervals, with the first potentially occurring late this year.
• The technology reflects sunlight to create a bright patch (targeted at -12.6 magnitude, comparable to a full moon) over a 3-mile area.
• Historically, similar concepts were tested, such as Russia's 1992 Znamya-2 experiment.

Concerns and Mitigation

• Scientific communities, including the American Astronomical Society, cite risks to all-sky surveys and major observatories like the Vera C. Rubin observatory.
• Potential issues include interference with satellite star-trackers, disruptions to nocturnal wildlife, and safety hazards to aviation.
• Proposed mitigation strategies include active management of reflection targeting and positioning satellites in a passive configuration when not in service.
• Critics argue that international regulatory oversight is currently lacking to address the aggregate impact of large-scale orbital reflection constellations.