this post was submitted on 06 Nov 2025
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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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[–] proper@lemmy.world 12 points 1 month ago

simpsons did it!

[–] kerrigan778@lemmy.blahaj.zone 12 points 1 month ago

So many companies and environmental damage just to get investors to dump money into terrible ideas.

[–] drosophila@lemmy.blahaj.zone 12 points 1 month ago
[–] Nomorereddit@lemmy.today 11 points 1 month ago

What experts? Give me my Dyson spehere!

[–] drascus@sh.itjust.works 11 points 1 month ago (1 children)

I just imagine the first places that put in in-door lightnig like "here now you can work later in the day" now they will be like "Oh look you can work 24/7 now it's never dark anymore".

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[–] VinnyDaCat@lemmy.world 11 points 1 month ago

Thought I was in the boring dystopia community instead. I suppose I'll just continue to hope that this is too impractical to happen or that those responsible aren't competent enough to make it happen.

[–] Pacattack57@lemmy.world 10 points 1 month ago

This isn’t even possible and the cost even if it was would be ASTRONOMICAL.

[–] Arkthos@pawb.social 10 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Very useful on the off chance that vampires are real. Otherwise.... Less so.

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[–] SethTaylor@lemmy.world 9 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Cut to: man watching in shock as his "mirror satellite" burns people like ants under a magnifier

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[–] Jax@sh.itjust.works 8 points 1 month ago (3 children)

Hey so, this might seem pretty extreme but um....

People who even attempt to steal sunlight should die. I don't care how, they should just be dead.

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[–] fodor@lemmy.zip 8 points 1 month ago (5 children)

Oh, I think it's a wonderful plan for the startup. They don't own space, they don't have any control over space, they're selling something that they know they can't possibly deliver because they would have to get people to agree that they're allowed to steal sunlight and space, and that would never happen. It's great for them. They can get some cash.

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[–] thespcicifcocean@lemmy.world 8 points 1 month ago (1 children)

they'll start by selling sunlight at night, but we know that it'll end up being that we have to either pay to have sunlight in the daytime OR pay to not have sunlight at night.

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[–] MedicPigBabySaver@lemmy.world 8 points 1 month ago
[–] pjwestin@lemmy.world 8 points 1 month ago

Scientists: One desperate plan we are considering to combat climate change is a series of gigantic mirrors to deflect sunlight away from the planet.

These assholes: OK, but what if, like, the opposite of that?

[–] TORFdot0@lemmy.world 8 points 1 month ago (1 children)
[–] airbornestar@lemmy.zip 6 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Just like a certain great philosopher said, "The sun is a deadly laser"

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We had a solution for this MOONTOWERS

[–] Arghblarg@lemmy.ca 7 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)
[–] hperrin@lemmy.ca 7 points 1 month ago

🎵 Take my love, take my land, take me where I cannot stand. I don’t care, I’m still free, you can’t take the sky from me.

Wait, no, don’t take the sky from me!

[–] julysfire@lemmy.world 6 points 1 month ago (2 children)

What are the space laws for if we nudge it into the sun?

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[–] Harbinger01173430@lemmy.world 6 points 1 month ago (2 children)

What about making our own startup that will make sure to destroy those orbital glasses?

Surface to space missiles seem to be a profitable entreprise

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[–] ABetterTomorrow@sh.itjust.works 5 points 1 month ago

Have we seen this episode on futurama?

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