FCC Authorizes Reflect Orbital Prototype Satellite Despite Nearly 2,000 Opposing Comments

The U.S. Federal Communications Commission authorized Reflect Orbital to build and operate a prototype satellite named Eärendil-1 in low-Earth orbit, The Verge reported. The satellite will carry a 59-foot reflective surface and is scheduled to launch later in 2026.

Reflect Orbital, a California-based startup, stated that the satellite will redirect sunlight to specific ground locations after dark. If the prototype succeeds, the company plans to deploy a constellation of 50,000 satellites by 2035 capable of illuminating areas up to 3 miles across, with the service offered on demand.

The Verge reported that the company envisions applications in solar energy, agriculture, and emergency response.

Nearly 2,000 public comments opposed the project, according to Wired, with objections filed by the American Astronomical Society, DarkSky International, and the Royal Astronomical Society. Betty Kioko, institutional affairs officer for the European Southern Observatory, told Wired that the space mirrors pose an “existential threat” to optical astronomy.

The Verge noted additional concerns about effects on wildlife light cycles and aircraft safety.