Overview
- The FCC’s Space Bureau granted a limited authorization for Reflect Orbital’s prototype in July, clearing radio operations and a debris plan but not addressing optical or environmental impacts.
- Reflect Orbital plans to launch Eärendil-1 later in 2026 to deploy an about 18-meter thin-film reflector that it says can light 3–5 km patches at roughly 0.8–2.3 lux, levels far above typical moonlight.
- Several astronomy societies and environmental groups have filed formal challenges this month seeking reversal of the approval and a National Environmental Policy Act review, citing risks to night skies, wildlife, sleep cycles and eye safety.
- Reflect Orbital says the satellites will be controllable—off, dim, relocate—and require local authorization, and it argues on-orbit measurements from the prototype are needed to judge safety and scaling.
- Regulators and scientists are awaiting empirical data from the planned test before any decision on expansion, with critics warning that approval without independent study could set a precedent for thousands of future space mirrors.