Reflect Orbital, a California-based space start-up, has booked two launches with Hyderabad-based Skyroot Aerospace to deploy satellites that reflect sunlight onto specific locations on Earth at night. The company says the service would allow customers to turn the lighting on or off and adjust brightness over a defined swath, with planned uses ranging from illuminating disaster zones to extending generation at solar farms.
According to the company, the agreement supports its broader plan to offer “on-demand” sunlight without ground-based infrastructure. Reflect Orbital states the contract provides assured launch schedule and capacity alongside other planned missions, and it links the first launch to Skyroot’s Vikram-1 rocket and the second to Skyroot’s in-development Vikram-1U vehicle.
The reports also note that Reflect Orbital has received Federal Communications Commission approval to construct, launch, and operate a demonstration satellite. Environmental groups have raised concerns about potential impacts of nighttime light beams, including effects on wildlife, astronomy observations, and human circadian rhythms, while the start-up says it will coordinate with regulators and other stakeholders as it seeks to scale operations.
