The United States Federal Communications Commission has approved a plan by Reflect Orbital to deploy space mirrors reflecting sunlight to Earth. While the company markets the technology for solar power and emergency response, scientists and astronomical societies warn the massive orbital constellation threatens dark skies and biological rhythms.
Despite public objections raised during a federal comment period, the U.S.
Reflect Orbital Proposes Satellite-Driven Sunlight on Demand
The company behind the initiative, Reflect Orbital, promotes its design as sunlight on demand—sunlight on demand. According to the company, the technology could find practical applications across multiple sectors, including agriculture, support for solar power plants, and search-and-rescue operations. Although the initial regulatory approval from the FCC covers only a single satellite, the firm’s long-term timeline aims to launch 50 tisíc satellites into orbit by the year 2035.
When questioned about potential regulations regarding the massive deployment, a company spokesperson told CBC that management recognizes that responsible deployment at scale requires clear rules. The spokesperson stated that management recognized that responsible deployment at such a scale required clear rules, and that they welcomed oversight and wanted to actively participate in shaping it, adding that the company considers cooperation with governments, scientists, and regulators a duty rather than something to bypass.
Astronomical Societies and Chronobiologists Warn of Planetary Disruption
Astronomers and biological organizations have issued sharp warnings over the initiative, noting severe risks to both research and natural ecosystems. The American Astronomical Society highlighted multiple hazards in an official statement.
The American Astronomical Society stated that the damages could include potential harm to sensitive research telescopes, the potential blinding of pilots and drivers, and—as Reflect Orbital itself stated in documents submitted to the FCC—even the risk of permanent vision damage to anyone who looked into the beam through a medium-sized telescope.
The Federal Communications Commission responded to safety concerns by stating that these issues fall outside its jurisdiction, as the agency regulates strictly radio, television, cable, and satellite communications.
Beyond telescope interference, international scientific groups warn of planetary-scale environmental consequences. Presidents of the European Society for Biological Rhythm (EBRS), the Society for Research on Biological Rhythms, the Japanese Society for Chronobiology, and the Canadian Chronobiology Society issued a joint warning cited by The Guardian.
The groups cautioned that the proposed orbital deployment would represent a significant alteration of the natural nighttime light environment on a planetary scale. According to the scientists, modifying the natural cycle of light and darkness could disrupt biological clocks that regulate sleep and hormone release in humans and animals, alter the migration patterns of nocturnal species, disturb seasonal plant cycles, and disrupt the rhythms of marine phytoplankton, which form the base of oceanic food webs.
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