this post was submitted on 06 Nov 2025
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Controversial startup's plan to 'sell sunlight' using giant mirrors in space would be 'catastrophic' and 'horrifying,' astronomers warn (www.livescience.com)
submitted 6 days ago by themachinestops@lemmy.dbzer0.com to c/technology@lemmy.world
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https://archive.ph/3WZrp

California-based startup Reflect Orbital aims to build a swarm of 4,000 giant mirrors in low Earth orbit to "sell sunlight" to customers at night. Experts warn that the mirrors could mess with telescopes, blind stargazers and impact the environment.

Reflect Orbital, which was founded in 2021, has recently taken the first step in a scheme to sell sunlight at night by bouncing solar rays off giant "reflectors" that can redirect the vital resource almost anywhere on our planet. By doing this, the company aims to extend daylight hours in specific locations, thus allowing paying customers to generate solar power, grow crops and replace urban lighting.

But experts say it is a wildly impractical plan that should never get off the ground. What's more, the resulting light pollution could devastate ground-based astronomy, distract aircraft pilots and even blind stargazers.

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[โ€“] Harbinger01173430@lemmy.world 6 points 5 days ago (2 children)

What about making our own startup that will make sure to destroy those orbital glasses?

Surface to space missiles seem to be a profitable entreprise

[โ€“] Saledovil@sh.itjust.works 1 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago)

Just launch a ton of ball bearings into orbit, and end space flight for ever. Or at least for the forseeable future.

Edit: Bearing balls, actually. Ball bearings is where the bearing balls are. But we want them in orbit.

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