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Humanity has always looked to the night sky for orientation, meaning, and discovery. The stars have quite literally guided our navigation, inspired our stories and belief systems, and informed our sense of what is possible.
Reflect Orbital’s goal to redirect precise sunlight from space to increase clean energy access on Earth stems from this same place of reverence for (and stewardship of) the universe that inspires us. Accessing space can help us solve pressing challenges on Earth and create new opportunities, and we want to do that in a way that preserves the night sky.
Understandably, our approach will raise questions as any transformative technology would and should. Some worry that reflecting sunlight from orbit could disrupt astronomical observations or alter the night sky. Not only do we take this seriously, but we are committed to seeking out engagement and dialogue, are excited to listen and receive feedback, and are eager to improve our early designs and future service.
Reflect will launch two demonstration satellites in 2026. This is the first step in our broader mission to build a constellation capable of redirecting sunlight to precise locations. By 2030, we aim to help utility-scale solar farms extend their productivity without requiring new land use or new infrastructure on the ground. Our ambition is bold and simple: make clean energy more abundant and lighting more sustainable, especially in places where sunlight is limited when demand is high.
Well before filing our licensing request with the FCC for our first satellite, we began engaging with members of the Astronomical community. These are the experts who set the tone for treating space as a shared environment that demands long-term stewardship. Early discussions shaped the three principles guiding our approach: predictability, transparency, and avoidability.
Furthermore, our technology is also designed for control and discretion. When not serving a specific spot, the satellites adopt a low cross-section attitude to minimize visibility,a s demonstrated in the figure below. Each reflection is limited to a specific area for a few minutes instead of projecting a diffuse glow. And, the light can be “turned off” swiftly by adjusting the satellite’s angle.
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This first mission is not only about commercial service: it’s also about learning. We want astronomers, researchers, and the public to experience the technology firsthand and help shape how it evolves. We’ll be collecting data, incorporating feedback, and using the results to refine our future designs. We are excited to introduce this technology to the human imagination. We also want to be clear that it is not a bright beam of high noon light in the middle of the night. Quite the contrary: the demonstration mission will redirect light roughly the brightness of a full moon, which is hundreds of thousands of times less bright than midday sunlight, for up to a 5-minute pass within two hours post local sunset.
Expanding access to clean energy from space has the potential to be a powerful tool to meet humanity's energy demands. Achieving this while protecting dark and quiet skies will require technical rigor, open dialogue, and sustained partnership among experts.
Our 2026 demonstration is an opportunity to learn together and shape this new tool at its earliest stages. We’re eager to work with scientists to measure the precision of reflections, evaluate visibility, and test mitigation strategies. If you are interested in participating as a technical partner in evaluations, please reach out here.
Our shared sky is a source of wonder and possibility. We want to keep it that way and work in concert with its natural light to build a more sustainable Earth.
