Four environmental organizations have petitioned the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to reverse its approval of Reflect Orbital’s plan to beam sunlight from space onto Earth. The groups say the satellite project could harm wildlife, interfere with astronomy research and create eye-safety risks.
DarkSky International, Environment America, the American Bird Conservancy and Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility asked the FCC to overturn its July decision approving Reflect Orbital’s Earendil-1 demonstration satellite. The spacecraft would carry a 59-foot-wide mirror designed to reflect sunlight onto a specific location on Earth during nighttime hours.
Although the FCC authorized only one test mission, the organizations argue that the approval could clear the way for Reflect Orbital to deploy a much larger satellite constellation.
“It is the Wild West in space right now, and corporations like Reflect Orbital are rushing to fill the gap,” said Earthjustice attorney Jan Hasselman, who called the company’s proposal “a uniquely bad idea.”
Reflect Orbital says its goal is to provide customers with sunlight on demand, regardless of the time of day, location or availability of ground-based infrastructure.
The company envisions operating a megaconstellation of more than 50,000 satellites by 2035. Reflect Orbital has said it would avoid illuminating sensitive habitats and areas reserved for astronomical research. The company also says the reflected sunlight could be adjusted or switched off by rotating each satellite in orbit.
According to the FCC’s order authorizing the mission, Earendil-1 will test whether a satellite can direct sunlight onto a precise location on Earth after dark. The satellite’s orbital mirror is designed to produce a beam approximately 3.1 miles wide from an altitude of about 400 miles.
NBC News contacted the Federal Communications Commission for comment but did not immediately receive a response.
Reflect Orbital declined to comment on the petition filed with the FCC.
The petition argues that even a single satellite could affect people far beyond the customer requesting the light. Because the reflected beam could cover several miles, thousands of people below it might be exposed without warning. Optical engineer and LED lighting expert Eric Bretschneider said concentrating sunlight into an intense point in the night sky could create dangerous glare for pilots, drivers and other people on the ground. He compared the effect to “a helicopter shining a spotlight right at you.” Bretschneider also questioned the system’s usefulness for rescue operations and solar-energy projects, noting that cloud cover could block the reflected light.
“Any time you have a solar eclipse, what do meteorologists, astronomers, and eye doctors tell you? Don’t look at it without protection. Why? Sunlight is incredibly intense,” Bretschneider said. “Their business plan is predicated on artificially recreating the lighting scenario of a near-total eclipse.”
Bretschneider said a larger satellite network or more powerful spacecraft could increase the risk of permanent eye injuries. People may instinctively look toward what appears to be an unfamiliar spotlight in the night sky without realizing it is reflected sunlight. Experts generally warn against looking directly at the sun because its intense visible and invisible radiation can damage the retina and, in some cases, cause permanent vision loss.
“People’s eyesight gets damaged, so it’s not a question of if it’s going to happen. It’s a question of when,” he said, comparing the reflected light to a helicopter spotlight aimed directly at an observer.
Scientists say astronomers could be especially vulnerable because telescopes amplify incoming light. The satellite’s reflections could threaten eye safety and create broader challenges for the future of ground-based astronomy.
Samantha Lawler, an associate professor of astronomy at the University of Regina in Canada who studies the impact of satellites on the night sky, said Reflect Orbital’s satellite could affect observatories around the world. Because Earendil-1 would be visible across much of the planet during each orbit, astronomers might have to account for its position when scheduling observations.
“Anytime the satellite is above the horizon, it will wash out the night sky, so astronomers everywhere in the world will have to pay attention to where the satellite is,” she said. “They have made no indication of how they will coordinate with observatories. That could destroy a camera on a telescope. It can also damage people’s eyes.”
The petition also raises concerns about the effects of reflected sunlight on wildlife. Artificial nighttime light can alter the behavior of migratory birds, insects and other nocturnal species that depend on moonlight and starlight for navigation, feeding and reproduction. Because Earendil-1 is intended to test technology that Reflect Orbital hopes to expand into a large satellite network, the coalition says the FCC should have reviewed its potential ecological effects before approving the mission.
“We don’t know how a space mirror is going to disturb wildlife because it’s never been done before, but we do know how light at night disturbs wildlife,” said Ruskin Hartley, executive director and CEO of DarkSky International. “Basically, every animal that has been studied at night, if you introduce artificial light into their environment, there is an impact from bats to birds.”
Hasselman said the petition seeks to ensure that federal regulators fully examine the environmental and public-safety risks before the technology advances.
“The FCC needs to take their responsibilities under the law seriously,” he said. “So give us a full review. Listen to the public. Disclose the environmental impacts.”
The coalition says these concerns should have been investigated before the FCC approved the test mission, not after the satellite launches. Its petition asks the full commission to reverse the Space Bureau’s decision and require a comprehensive review of the project’s environmental, safety and public-interest impacts before Earendil-1 proceeds.
Source: www.nbcnews.com