Reflect Orbital wins first FCC approval for sunlight-reflecting satellite
Reflect Orbital
The FCC approved Reflect Orbital's Eärendil-1 test satellite, which will reflect sunlight to Earth after dark.
what happened
The FCC on July 9 approved Reflect Orbital's Eärendil-1, a 142-kilogram satellite that will deploy an 18-meter thin-film reflector in a 600-650 km orbit to test redirecting sunlight to targeted ground areas. The approval drew more than 1,800 public comments opposing it, including from the American Astronomical Society, which warned of eye-damage risk to astronomers and glare hazards to pilots and drivers.
why it matters
This is the FCC's first license for a sunlight-reflection satellite, opening a regulatory path for Reflect Orbital's stated ambition of a constellation reaching 50,000 satellites by 2035 selling illumination to solar farms, construction sites and other customers after dark. It sets a precedent other novel-payload operators and regulators will watch, and gives astronomers a concrete target for organized opposition to future filings.
signal-to-noise
quick facts
- Companies
- Reflect Orbital
- Category
- regulatory
- Impact
- notable
- SNR
- 4 / 5
- Event date
- 2026-07-09
- Published
- 2026-07-11 06:53 UTC