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Fcc Regulation

All articles tagged with #fcc regulation

Orbital mirrors set to beam daylight to Earth, but questions abound
technology1 month ago

Orbital mirrors set to beam daylight to Earth, but questions abound

The FCC approved Reflect Orbital to launch a pilot low-Earth-orbit satellite with movable mirrors to reflect sunlight to Earth, potentially lighting a 5 km patch for up to an hour; however, delivering meaningful daylight would require thousands of satellites with massive mirrors, making the concept expensive and likely less economical than battery storage, while experts warn about sleep disruption, wildlife and ecological impacts, and interference with astronomy as regulators debate planetary governance.

Sun-Reflecting Satellite Sparks Astronomy Debate as FCC Greenlights Demonstration
science1 month ago

Sun-Reflecting Satellite Sparks Astronomy Debate as FCC Greenlights Demonstration

The FCC approved Reflect Orbital’s Earendil-1 mission, a single-satellite demonstration that would reflect sunlight to Earth at night with a steerable mirror; while hailed as a potential breakthrough in solar energy delivery and disaster lighting, scientists warn it could brighten wide swaths of the sky, disrupt dark-sky research, and set a precedent for tens of thousands of satellites without robust regulation.