Orbital sky mirrors aim to brighten nights, sparking controversy

A California startup Reflect Orbital plans to launch about 4,000 sky mirrors into a sun-synchronous orbit to reflect sunlight onto Earth after dusk, aiming to brighten cities and energy sites while raising concerns about interference with astronomy, effects on wildlife and human sleep, and the risks of space debris; regulators may require environmental reviews and global standards before any deployment, with the first Earendil-1 satellite targeted for 2026 demonstrations.