Space EnvironmentalismMar 9

"A start-up company wants to light up the night with 50,000 big mirrors orbiting Earth. Opponents say the mirrors could distract airplane pilots, mess up astronomical observations and interfere with circadian rhythms — the light-and-dark cycles that help people, creatures and plants know when to wake and sleep, when to bloom, when to migrate and so forth."

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/09/climate/space-mirror-satellite-solar.html

#Space #Environment #ReflectOrbital #SunlightAsAService

A Night Light in the Sky? Reflect Orbital Wants to Launch a Big Space Mirror.

The company is seeking F.C.C. approval to test an idea to reflect sunlight to Earth at night, possibly powering solar panels. Critics say it could be bad for people and wildlife.

The New York Times
Show threadPaul Wermer, CC BY-NC-SA 4.0Mar 9
@space_environmentalism
Hasn't the public comment period closed in the entitlement process? Is that why NYT is covering this story now?
Show threadSpace Environmentalism
@PaulWermer The public comment period for the Reflect Orbital application closed last Friday (6th March). We understand that the NYT was following developments in this case as of several months ago, so it's unclear why the story only ran today.
Mar 9 at 7:16pmWeb
Show threadPaul Wermer, CC BY-NC-SA 4.0Mar 9

@space_environmentalism
Because it's too late for people to take meaningful action?

(I appreciate your earlier coverage of this, and thanks to that did submit public comment)

Show threadSpace EnvironmentalismMar 9
@PaulWermer We have some intel that the NYT reporter seems to buy Reflect Orbital's claims that the problem is fully modeled, promising high contrast in vs. out of beam and insignificant illumination outside the beam.
Show threadPaul Wermer, CC BY-NC-SA 4.0Mar 9

@space_environmentalism

If you don't do a rigorous NEPA-like assessment, with an NOP-like solicitation to the wide range of people who have studied potential impacts, how can anyone assess if the process is "fully modeled" and risk free?

The answers to get are constrained by the questions you ask ....

Show threadSpace EnvironmentalismMar 9
@PaulWermer We don't know, either. But the FCC seems to think it's fully exempt from performing EIA's under NEPA and continues to argue so publicly.
Show threadSpace EnvironmentalismMar 9
@PaulWermer The article misses:
- reflected light from the entire area will be highly light-polluting.
- everything is lit in the area, instead of the 0.1% of surface area that is covered by roads/sidewalks
- the use of "green energy" for an inherently ungreen idea.
- light pollution and associated energy consumption could be reduced to 10% of the current values.
- the pollution of launch and de-orbiting
- FCC's refusal to acknowledge possibility of environmental damage from space.