What if the sunlight could be accessed even at night, not just in daytime, so humans have alternative energy options at their disposal? This isn’t a science fiction concept, but soon become a reality if everything
goes according to plan. A US-based startup is exploring an option to sell the sunlight to companies at night or during unavailability on a rental basis.
The startup named Reflect Orbital is seeking approval to test a space-based system designed to reflect sunlight onto Earth after dark.
The company has applied to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for permission to launch an initial prototype. If cleared, the test satellite could be deployed as early as this year.
As part of the experiment, the company will place large reflective surfaces (mirrors) out in the space that would redirect the sunlight onto Earth’s selected parts.
Reflect Orbital’s first prototype is expected to be roughly the size of a small refrigerator. Once in orbit, at an altitude of about 400 miles, it would deploy a mirror spanning approximately 60 feet. The reflected light would illuminate an area around three miles wide. Observers on the ground would see the satellite as a bright point in the sky, comparable in intensity to a full moon.
Ben Nowack, the company’s chief executive, said the ambition is to develop a system that could reduce dependence on conventional energy sources.
“We’re trying to build something that could replace fossil fuels and really power everything,” he said. He added that the company has secured more than $28 million in funding to date.
What Will Be The Business Model?
The company is expected to charge customers on a per-hour basis. According to reports, the company intends to price the service at about $5,000 per hour (approximately Rs 4.6 lakh) per mirror for customers committing to long-term contracts of at least 1,000 hours annually.
Uses could include emergency response, temporary lighting for events, and extending operating hours for solar power installations. For solar farms, the company has suggested a revenue-sharing approach linked to additional electricity generation.
If the initial trial proves viable, two further prototypes may follow within a year. Longer-term plans are significantly larger in scale. Reflect Orbital aims to have 1,000 satellites in orbit by the end of 2028 and around 5,000 by 2030. The largest mirrors under development could measure close to 180 feet across and are intended to reflect light equivalent to as many as 100 full moons. The company’s stated goal is to eventually deploy a constellation of up to 50,000 satellites.
Critics argue that large-scale reflective satellites could interfere with astronomical observations, disrupt aviation, and alter natural biological cycles. Artificial light at unusual times may affect circadian rhythms, which regulate sleep and activity patterns across humans, animals and plants.
