Reflect\u2019s plans to build a constellation of 50,000 orbiting mirrors has made a lot of people very angry, and has been widely regarded\u2014by scientists, astronomers, and lovers of the night sky\u2014as a bad move.<\/p>\n
Payload spoke with Reflect CEO Ben Nowack to hear how the company is addressing the growing cacophony of concerns.<\/p>\n
The cons list: Despite gaining the FCC\u2019s approval to fly its demo satellite, the company has a lot of headway to make before it can scale up to larger satellites and a full constellation.<\/p>\n
The FCC approved the company\u2019s first sat\u2014but explicitly declined to address the environmental or astronomical impacts of Reflect\u2019s proposal. Since then, dozens of organizations, including DarkSky International, the American Bird Conservancy, Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility, the International Astronomical Union, Air Line Pilots Association, and the Royal Astronomical Society, have published their opposition.<\/p>\n
These organizations have a broad list of fears, from light pollution and impacts on astronomy, to worries about human health and the effects on local flora and fauna. Nowack didn\u2019t brush off these concerns, but cautioned that they were often overblown, and based on a misunderstanding of what Reflect is building.<\/p>\n
Not for everyone: First and foremost, Nowack told Payload that Reflect isn\u2019t trying to spread sunlight everywhere.<\/p>\n
\u201c[The] thing that people get really wrong about us is they kind of picture the whole Earth being lit up by our satellites, and that\u2019s not the case at all,\u201d Nowack said. \u201cWe only need about 200 sites around the world to close our business model for the first several years, and each one of those sites is 6,000 acres\u2026So this is an incredibly small fraction of the Earth that\u2019s being lit up.\u201d<\/p>\n
At $5,000 per hour, Reflect\u2019s sunlight-as-a-service business model allows them to be very selective about where and when they cast sunlight down to Earth\u2014and still turn a profit doing so. Nowack told Payload that Reflect wouldn\u2019t beam sunlight without consent, and despite having to wade through webs of novel regulatory approvals, sunlight would only be shared if the appropriate local authorities gave their approval.<\/p>\n
To achieve this, Reflect has designed its solar-reflecting sats to fly in two modes: on and off.<\/p>\n
In the on-mode, sunlight would be beamed down to Earth with the approximate brightness of a full Moon\u2014though multiple researchers have disputed this claim.\u00a0In the off-mode satellites would fly side-on to the sun, with Reflect expecting a maximum luminosity no greater than magnitude +7, as requested by the IAU and similar to Starlink satellites.<\/p>\n
Reflect is also working with the National Science Foundation and NASA to ensure that they don\u2019t beam sunlight over active astronomical equipment. Nowack was confident that turning the satellite off in such scenarios would maintain astronomers\u2019 ability to photograph the night sky\u2014although a study by the European Southern Observatory<\/a> found that this would likely not be enough.<\/p>\n Pocket full of sunshine: Astronomers and night-sky enthusiasts also espoused concerns about Reflect\u2019s broader impact on light pollution.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n A study published this week from researchers at three universities\u2014Princeton University, the Slovak Academy of Sciences, and Comenius University in Bratislava\u2014argued that the illumination from one 54 sq m mirror satellite (the size Reflect is building towards) would be four times brighter than a full Moon. Researchers argued that each beam of light could extend up to 30 km away.<\/p>\n Nowack disagreed with the 4x full Moon luminosity finding, but didn\u2019t take issue with the bulk of the study\u2019s research, saying it \u201cappear[s] to validate much of our own internal modeling,\u201d and adding that Reflect would factor in the spread of sunlight in its determination of astronomical exclusion zones.<\/p>\n \u201cIf there\u2019s an astronomer or a place that doesn\u2019t want to see light, and they have a really hard brightness requirement\u2026we will make sure that we don\u2019t serve customers close[by],\u201d Nowack said.<\/p>\n Not for the birds: When it came to other concerns\u2014such as impacts to local flora and fauna, or effects on human health and the circadian rhythm\u2014Nowack was notably less understanding.<\/p>\n \u201cI think a lot of people are scared of new things,\u201d Nowack said. \u201cSimilar concerns and fears were brought up when light bulbs were introduced to the world, and people were worried about circadian rhythm and like, is this godly?\u2026I think it\u2019s a sign that we\u2019re doing something that\u2019s really new and really important.\u201d<\/p>\n What\u2019s next: Reflect\u2019s ultimate goal is to use its solar reflecting constellation to reduce humanity\u2019s reliance on fossil fuels. The company plans to roll out its service to solar farm operators to extend the amount of time per day they can generate power. If they can achieve that, the constellation would be a net good for humanity, according to Nowack.<\/p>\n But the company isn\u2019t waiting around to see if its critics can be convinced. Reflect unveiled its second completed satellite this week, and told Payload the company hopes to have 4,000 satellites in orbit by the end of the decade.<\/p>\n \u201cWe want to launch a full Falcon 9 as soon as possible. Potentially a couple in 2028,\u201d Nowack said, \u201cWe don\u2019t have those booked\u2026[we] don\u2019t have the money\u2026.But that\u2019s what we\u2019re shooting for. And [with the] current growth rate, we do think we can get there.\u201d<\/p>\n Related Stories<\/p>\n NASA\u2019s Human Research Program is asking researchers what they want to know as the agency transitions to long-term stays at a Moon Base.<\/p>\n Space Kinetic announced a $50M OTA award from the Space Force to develop Whirlwind\u2014its space maneuverability and deployment system.<\/p>\n Astrolight will fly a laser comms terminal onboard ATMOS\u2019 PHOENIX 2 reentry vehicle during a 2027 demo mission.<\/p>\n Redwire subsidiary SpaceMD announced a contract to fly up to 32 mini-labs on a future SpaceX Starfall mission.<\/p>\n More Stories<\/p>\n The human body has evolved to withstand many environments, but the Moon isn\u2019t one of them.\u00a0<\/p>\n![\"NASA](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/astronauts-working-on-moon-noviper-1-262x190.webp\")
<\/a><\/p>\n![\"Exclusive:](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/ww-pic-1-304x171.png\")
<\/a><\/p>\n![\"Astrolight,](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/unnamed-9-304x154.png\")
<\/a><\/p>\n![\"Redwire](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/SpaceX_StarfallReentry-2048x1152-1-304x171.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\n![\"Artist's](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/astronauts-working-on-moon-noviper-1-948x687.webp\")
Artist\u2019s concept of crews working on the Moon. Image: NASA<\/p>\n