Reflect Orbital: Despite protests FCC fails to block harmful light at night

Federal Communications Commission allows satellite company to put mirrors in space to reflect the sun's rays onto the earth at night

Back in March I told you about the satellite startup company, Reflect Orbital with its harebrained scheme to launch satellites with mirrors to light up the earth at night. They call themselves “The Sunlight Company” in the video clip on its website (see below).

To launch their first satellite, they needed approval from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). The Circadian Light Research Center and almost 2000 other organizations and individuals petitioned the FCC to ban the use of such mirrored satellites at night.

As we, and DarkSky International, the American Astronomical Society, the American Physiological Society and thousands of others pointed out, maintaining the natural darkness at night that has been a critical part of the development of life on earth, and is key to plant, animal and human health. Light at night, and particular blue-rich reflected sunlight substantially increases the risk of diabetes, heart disease, breast and prostate cancer and psychiatric disorders.

Last week the FCC gave its approval for Reflect Orbital to launch its first Eärendil satellite equipped with mirrors¹. This is a small-scale test which will seek to spotlight targets on the earth with a 0.1 lux beam, about the brightness of a full moon. The FCC defended its decision to ignore all the scientific evidence submitted about the harms to life on earth. It argued that its only role was to check that the satellites radio signals don’t create interference problems and that the satellite would not create space debris or crash down to earth at the end of its life and cause damage.

With this FCC approval behind it, Reflect Orbital gets bolder and bolder in its drive to light up the planet at night. Because of the distance of the orbiting satellites, the light beam focused on the earth is not narrow. It cannot be used to just light up a parking lot because the reflected light from a single mirror will banish darkness from a 5 kilometer (3-mile) wide area on the earth.

Now we learn from their website, that while the initial test duplicates low moonlight levels of illumination, their aim is to deploy thousands of satellites, and over time, progressively increase the intensity of illumination to full daylight levels of light.

Here is their ambition, unfettered by any concern for flora and fauna or human health, or for astronomy or for aviation safety as the light beam hits pilots’ eyes in the middle of the night.

• Initial 2026 demonstration: 0.1 lux Bright full-moon conditions

• 2027 target: 2 lux Several times brighter than moonlight; low-level outdoor illumination

• 2028 target: up to 100 lux: Indoor corridors/work areas or dim street lighting

• Long-term constellation of thousands of satellites: Up to 36,000 lux full daylight levels when you are facing away from the sun

These are projected service levels but they give a clear idea of where this company, if unrestrained, will go.

For further background information

The quickest way to understand the importance of healthy lighting and the value of nocturnal darkness is to read my book THE LIGHT DOCTOR.

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REFERENCES

Federal Communication Commission (FCC) Reflect Orbital Inc. Application for Authority to Construct, Launch, and Operate a Non-Geostationary Orbit Satellite in the Space Operation and Space Research Services ICFS File No. SAT-LOA-20250701-00129 Call Sign: S00711 ORDER AND AUTHORIZATION July 9, 2026 https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DA-26-706A1.pdf

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