FCC Authorizes Reflect Orbital to Launch Experimental Mirror Satellite

The U.S. Federal Communications Commission authorized Reflect Orbital on July 9 to build, launch, and operate the experimental mirror satellite Eärendil-1 in low Earth orbit, Wired reported. The satellite carries an 18-meter reflector designed to illuminate areas 5 to 6 kilometers across for short periods at an altitude of roughly 625 kilometers.

Its stated purpose is to test an ultrathin, highly reflective film-based reflector. Reflect Orbital, a Santa Monica, California startup, said on social media that it was grateful for the approval. The company called the decision validating and indicative of U.S.

Leadership in space technology. The firm envisions a future fleet of 50,000 satellites by 2035 for uses such as nighttime solar power support, search-and-rescue lighting, and emergency infrastructure illumination. The FCC received nearly 2,000 public comments during review.

The American Astronomical Society, DarkSky International, and the Royal Astronomical Society submitted opposition, as did the European Southern Observatory. Betty Kioko, institutional affairs officer for the European Southern Observatory, said the project posed an existential threat to optical astronomy.

The FCC responded that astronomy concerns lay outside its regulatory scope for this single experimental satellite.

The agency noted that Eärendil-1 is a limited-duration demonstration and that any larger constellation would require separate approvals. Reflect Orbital pledged on its website to coordinate with scientific institutions and measure actual impacts before any expansion.