{
  "id": 2347285,
  "title": "This company’s plans to deploy space mirrors could jeopardize the night sky for many",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/21/this-companys-plans-to-deploy-space-mirrors-could-jeopardize-the",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-08-21T09:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "MIT Technology Review",
    "slug": "mit-technology-review",
    "url": "https://www.technologyreview.com/2026/08/21/1142755/space-mirrors-night-sky/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A US firm, Reflect Orbital, intends to launch a test satellite called Eärendil-1 that will deploy a 18x18-meter mirror into orbit. The company aims to launch up to 50,000 larger satellites, 54 by 54 meters in size, to reflect sunlight to Earth on demand. This could potentially brighten the night sky for many more people than originally intended, according to a recent study. The US Federal Communications Commission approved the launch in July, but astronomers and environmental groups have expressed concerns. Samantha Lawler, an astronomer at the University of Regina in Canada, stated that the plan is incompatible with astronomy. Miroslav Kocifaj, an astronomer at the Slovak Academy of Sciences, and his colleagues calculated that the combined beams of 400 satellites could be as bright as 10,000 full moons within a five-kilometer area, or 2.4% as bright as the sun. Their study predicts that even 80 kilometers away, the combined beam would be visible as a glow above the horizon. Reflect Orbital's CEO, Ben Nowack, disputes these findings, stating that the company has addressed the concerns and incorporated safeguards. However, the astronomers and environmental groups argue that the potential impact on astronomy, aviation, wildlife, and human safety is significant and require further review.",
  "summary": "A company that plans to beam sunlight from space to Earth on demand might unintentionally brighten the night sky for many more people than intended, according to a new study. Later this year, the US company Reflect Orbital plans to launch a test satellite called Eärendil-1 that will extend an 18-by-18-meter mirror in orbit. The…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}