FCC Approves Giant Mirror Satellite to Beam Sunlight to Earth

The FCC approved Reflect Orbital’s first sun‑light-on‑demand satellite, Eärendil‑1, which uses an 18x18 meter mirror to cast a 5 km diameter light spot on Earth at about 0.1 lux from a ~600–650 km orbit, with plans for a large constellation of such satellites. Launch is planned later this year on SpaceX hardware. The move has sparked criticism from astronomers and environmentalists who warn about impacts to the night sky and environment, but the FCC says light pollution concerns fall outside its remit and that harms are unlikely from a single satellite; opponents urge a comprehensive environmental review before large deployments.