We all know light pollution has a detrimental effect on amateur astronomy. In recent years, mounting scientific evidence has proven that light pollution affects not only our viewing of the night sky, but human health, wildlife, and fauna. Despite this evidence, our night sky is deteriorating at an ever-increasing rate. Life on Earth has evolved over 2.4 billion years on a diurnal cycle of light and dark. We must have the darkness of night for our bodies and the entire biosphere to function as designed through billions of years of evolution.
As if fighting for common-sense ordinances, legislation, and standards for light pollution has not been difficult enough, The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has just approved a demonstration launch of 3 satellites in 2026 that will provide sunlight to the dark side of the Earth. The company is Reflect Orbital and it plans to launch refrigerator-sized satellites into orbit that will unfurl aluminized mylar reflecting mirrors measuring 59 feet by 59 feet. The company will use them to reflect sunlight on targeted areas 3 miles across on the night side of the Earth. The primary use is to reflect sunlight, for a fee, onto solar panels to generate electricity at night, but company literature also states that disaster response, search and rescue, nighttime construction and agriculture, and large outdoor events as possible uses. The light reflected toward the Earth would be equivalent to 4X the brightness of the full Moon inside the beam, and about the brightness of 1 full Moon outside of the beam. If successful, Reflect Orbital plans to launch 50,000 more satellites by 2035. Yes, you read correctly 50,000! Can you imagine the light of 50,000 or more full moons in our sky? There would be no more Earth-bound astronomy. Permanent eye damage could be caused by anyone inadvertently viewing one of these satellites with a telescope. In truth, it would be the first stage of failure of the biosphere. Life depends on our diurnal cycle for feeding, migration, reproduction, and many other functions. This project has the potential to be far worse and far more widespread than any chemical or radiological hazards that we have faced and conquered in the last two centuries. As mentioned above, we know the detriments of light pollution on humans, wildlife, and plant life. Why was this allowed?
The FFC’s role in this project is strictly confined to spectrum licensing (radio frequency). They received 2,000 negative comments on this proposal from such institutions as the American Astronomical Society, The European Southern Observatory, DarkSky International, The Royal Observatory, and many more. In its July 9th approval, the mirrors’ light pollution, telescope interference, and safety risks were determined to be outside of FCC’s regulatory authority. Apparently, there are no regulatory agencies in the U.S. with authority over such projects. That’s a big problem.
Unfortunately, there is no easy solution to this potential disaster. The best advice I can give at this time is to contact DarkSky International (if you are a member) and ask what you can do. Also, write your Congressional delegation. If no U.S. regulatory agencies have jurisdiction over such projects, then Congress must create one or enable an existing agency to regulate it. I will be looking into other ways in which we, as an organization, can participate. Our voices need to be loud and clear. Please help save our sky.
