US approves test of an 18-metre space mirror to light Earth at night

US regulators have approved Reflect Orbital to test its Eärendil-1 satellite, which will unfurl a giant 18-metre mirror to reflect sunlight back to the dark side of Earth, illuminating a three-mile-wide patch and potentially enabling nighttime urban lighting and post-sunset solar farming; the company envisions a wider constellation in the future, while critics warn of impacts on health, wildlife, and astronomy, and the FCC notes environmental considerations fall outside its remit for space-based radio operations.