A California startup, Reflect Orbital, has received FCC approval to test a satellite equipped with an 18-meter-wide mirror that could reflect sunlight onto Earth's dark side.

The demo satellite, Eärendil-1, will launch later this year and cast a bright spot three miles across, potentially lighting streets and charging solar farms at night.The company plans to sell reflected sunlight for $5,000 per hour to industries like search-and-rescue and construction.However, scientists warn of risks including blinding pilots, disrupting astronomical research, and harming ecosystems.The FCC rejected environmental concerns as outside its jurisdiction, allowing the project to proceed despite widespread opposition.If successful, Reflect Orbital aims to deploy 1,000 mirrors by 2028 and 50,000 by 2035, creating a massive artificial light source.

Critics argue this endangers natural darkness, which is vital for wildlife and human health, while the company promotes it as clean energy innovation.