FCC Clears Orbital Mirror Satellite Despite Widespread Objections
/The Federal Communications Commission has approved frequency use for a controversial satellite designed to reflect sunlight down onto the night side of the Earth.
Startup company Reflect Orbital has been granted the right to use S-, X- and UHF band frequencies to launch and communicate with its low Earth orbit satellite, Eärendil-1, which is scheduled to fly later this year.
The spacecraft carries a 60-foot reflector and will operate from an orbit of 600 to 650 kilometres. Its beam would be around 5 kilometres wide at ground level, and the company suggests it could be used to keep solar farms generating after sunset, or to light disaster zones where rescue teams are working through the night. Eärendil-1 is intended as the first of a constellation that could eventually number up to 50,000 orbiting mirrors.
Approval was granted on the 9th of July in the face of substantial opposition. The American Astronomical Society raised concerns about light pollution, while environmental groups pointed to the disruption that artificial light at night causes to nocturnal species. Media reports indicate that objections dominated the more than 1,800 public comments the FCC received.
Reflect Orbital has also stated on LinkedIn that it received a $1.2 million Small Business Innovation Research grant from the Department of Defense via the Air Force, which sees potential military applications in on-demand sunlight.
