this post was submitted on 06 Nov 2025
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Controversial startup's plan to 'sell sunlight' using giant mirrors in space would be 'catastrophic' and 'horrifying,' astronomers warn (www.livescience.com)
submitted 16 hours ago by themachinestops@lemmy.dbzer0.com to c/technology@lemmy.world
98 comments fedilink hide all child comments
 

https://archive.ph/3WZrp

California-based startup Reflect Orbital aims to build a swarm of 4,000 giant mirrors in low Earth orbit to "sell sunlight" to customers at night. Experts warn that the mirrors could mess with telescopes, blind stargazers and impact the environment.

Reflect Orbital, which was founded in 2021, has recently taken the first step in a scheme to sell sunlight at night by bouncing solar rays off giant "reflectors" that can redirect the vital resource almost anywhere on our planet. By doing this, the company aims to extend daylight hours in specific locations, thus allowing paying customers to generate solar power, grow crops and replace urban lighting.

But experts say it is a wildly impractical plan that should never get off the ground. What's more, the resulting light pollution could devastate ground-based astronomy, distract aircraft pilots and even blind stargazers.

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[–] philycheeze@sh.itjust.works 62 points 14 hours ago (1 children)

You don’t even have to be an expert to see that this is one of the stupidest ideas ever conceived.

[–] Armillarian@pawb.social -2 points 7 hours ago (1 children)

Judging from how many ppl hated daylight saving time, i can imaging some ppl attempt to fund this

[–] Alcoholicorn@mander.xyz 6 points 7 hours ago (1 children)

People don't hate DST, they want permanent DST.

[–] nomy@lemmy.zip 10 points 7 hours ago

I feel like most people just want to pick one and stick to it; stop changing it back and forth every other season, my body will adjust to the changing days just fine on its own.