A company developing satellites that reflect sunlight back to Earth says it has no plans to illuminate Saskatchewan communities in the middle of the night.
Reflect Orbital is developing Eärendil-1, a demonstration satellite that will use a flat reflector to redirect sunlight to specific locations on Earth.
The company provided written responses through spokesperson Christopher Buscombe, with the responses attributed to Reflect Orbital.
The company says its first satellite is intended to test the technology and the safeguards that would control where, when and how reflected light is delivered.
“Our first milestone is this single demonstration satellite,” the company said.
Reflect Orbital expects the mission to be the first of several test missions. Data from the mission will be used to shape future satellite designs, the markets the company serves and its operating practices.
No plans to illuminate communities
Reflect Orbital says most people and places will never see the reflected light.
The company says it intends to provide light primarily to large solar projects, search-and-rescue operations and construction sites, which are typically located away from populated areas.
The company said every service would require permits, local authority approval and customer verification before light is delivered.
“We’re not going to light up a Saskatchewan community at 2 a.m.,” the company said.
Reflect Orbital also said consultation with Indigenous nations, municipalities, farmers, conservation groups and residents would be a precondition for providing the service.
“The service will only be provided where there’s proper regulatory approval and buy-in from local communities and jurisdictions,” the company said.
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How bright would the light be?
Reflect Orbital says the illumination inside the targeted area would be equivalent to a full moon.
The company said the physics of a flat reflector means the reflected light cannot exceed the brightness of the sun itself.
It also said exposure would remain within International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection safety limits when viewed through binoculars or a telescope.
According to Reflect Orbital, a pointing error would change where the light lands, rather than increase its brightness.
Environmental concerns
The proposed technology has raised questions about how artificial nighttime light could affect wildlife and ecosystems.
Reflect Orbital said it is commissioning research by independent researchers and federal partners to study those effects.
The company said it is working on a co-ordination agreement with the National Science Foundation and conducting environmental studies.
The results, it said, will help determine how the company moves forward.
Reflect Orbital said its service would be targeted and time-limited, with brightness thresholds calibrated to levels it says humans and animals already tolerate.
The company said it can establish exclusion zones around protected habitats and areas containing endangered species and does not plan to operate over at-risk migration corridors.
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Concerns from astronomers
Artificial light from satellites has also raised concerns about its potential effect on astronomical observations.
Reflect Orbital said its safeguards account for atmospheric scattering when determining exclusion zones.
The company said, for example, that if an astronomical observatory requires an exclusion zone where the reflected light must remain below a magnitude of +7, its satellite would maintain the necessary distance or angle based on modelling and test data.
Reflect Orbital said those models will be continually updated.
The company also said its satellites would be turned off when idle and designed to remain below +7 stellar magnitude when not providing service.
Reflect Orbital said it does not expect its satellites to interfere with astronomical observations or damage equipment.
The company said it is working with NASA and the National Science Foundation and is an industry member of the International Astronomical Union’s Centre for the Protection of the Dark and Quiet Sky.
Feedback from astronomers has already influenced the company’s spacecraft design and operating plans, it said.
A larger constellation
Eärendil-1 is intended as a demonstration, but Reflect Orbital has described a much larger future network of satellites.
The company says the technology could extend the operating hours of existing solar farms by providing reflected sunlight after the sun has set.
Reflect Orbital argues this could produce additional clean energy without requiring new land or transmission infrastructure.
The company also says its approach could avoid the mining and replacement cycles associated with batteries.
At scale, Reflect Orbital expects the greenhouse-gas emissions associated with its energy service, including the launch of its satellites on a Falcon 9 rocket, to be comparable to terrestrial solar.
The company did not provide a specific carbon-footprint figure in its response.
For now, Reflect Orbital says it is taking an incremental approach.
The company says the first mission will provide real-world data that will determine how the technology develops, where it is used and what safeguards are required.
“We expect this to be the first of several test missions,” the company said.