Now you can order sunlight.

https://imgur.com/a/LnWGna3#RFpW0RT

California startup Reflect Orbital, founded by Ben Nowack and Tristan Semmelhack in Hawthorne, announced on October 14 it purchased two dedicated launches from India’s Skyroot Aerospace on Vikram-1 and Vikram-1U vehicles for future spacecraft in its plan to deploy orbital mirrors that redirect sunlight to selected ground locations after dark. The company received FCC approval on July 9 for its first demonstration satellite Eärendil-1, a 142 kg craft with an 18 meter thin film reflector expected to illuminate a 5 km wide area at full moon brightness for several minutes during passes, with launch planned later in 2026 on a SpaceX rideshare. Reflect Orbital has raised over $35 million including Sequoia seed funding and reports more than 250,000 service requests. The constellation targets up to 50,000 satellites by 2035 for applications including solar farm extension, search and rescue, and events, and users can order sunlight via the company’s app or website for specific locations and times.

https://payloadspace.com/reflect-orbital-buys-two-skyroot-aerospace-launches/

https://www.reflectorbital.com/

https://techcrunch.com/2024/09/24/sequoias-first-space-investment-since-spacex-is-sunlight-seller-reflect-orbital/

h/t ReoX