Stories
Sunlight at Night: US Startup Partners with India's Skyroot for Space Mirror Project
- •US-based startup Reflect Orbital plans to use space mirrors to reflect sunlight onto specific areas of Earth during the night.
- •India's private space company Skyroot Aerospace has signed an agreement to launch two satellites using its Vikram rockets.
- •The technology aims to illuminate a five-kilometer area at a time with adjustable light intensity.
- •Environmental organizations have raised concerns that artificial light at night could harm wildlife, human biological clocks, and astronomical research.
Key Questions Answered
Reflect Orbital is a California-based startup developing a constellation of satellites equipped with large mirrors to reflect sunlight and illuminate specific areas on Earth after dark. The technology aims to light up an area of about five kilometers at a time, with adjustable light intensity for emergency response, solar farms, and night events.
India's private space company Skyroot Aerospace has signed an agreement with Reflect Orbital to help launch its satellites into space. The first satellite will be sent using Skyroot's Vikram-1 rocket, while the second satellite will use the under-construction Vikram-1U rocket equipped with additional boosters.
Environmental organizations and astronomers have raised concerns that increasing artificial light at night can adversely affect wildlife behavior, the natural biological clock of humans, and scientific astronomical research.
