<2>Startup Plans April Launch for a Satellite Reflect Sunlight to Earth at Night
<3>Reflect Orbital’s Ambitious Plan to Illuminate the Night Sky
The Washington Post reports that Reflect Orbital, a startup company, is planning to launch its first satellite in April, which will redirect sunlight to Earth at night. The satellite will be part of a larger system that aims to illuminate entire cities, industrial sites, and even solar farms. According to the article, the company’s founder, Ben Nowack, envisions a scenario where a bright star appears on the northern horizon and makes its way across the sky, illuminating a 5-kilometer circle on Earth.
<3>The Technology Behind Reflect Orbital’s Satellite
Reflect Orbital’s satellite will be a large, mirrored satellite that will redirect sunlight to Earth at night. The company is currently developing two such satellites, with the first one being 50 feet across and the second one being three times that size. If all goes according to plan, the company will have 50,000 of these satellites circling the Earth in 2035 at an altitude of around 400 miles.
<3>Elon Musk’s SpaceX and the Future of Space-Based Technology
The article also mentions that Elon Musk’s