The U.S.-based startup Reflect is raising funds to deploy a constellation of mirrors in orbit, designed to illuminate specific areas on Earth’s surface. According to the company, it will be possible to request sunlight, initially at the intensity of a full moon, on demand.
Announcing our $20M Series A led by @Lux_Capital with participation from @sequoia and @starship_vc. We truly couldn’t be building this with better partners.
— Ben Nowack (@bennbuilds) May 14, 2025
The sun will power ~everything until we outgrow this solar system, and we are taking the first practical steps to… pic.twitter.com/K8bworNSaj
The potential applications for this system range from powering solar power plants to supporting intensive farming and even providing street lighting for small urban areas. Reflect’s goal is to promote energy savings by offering an alternative source of illumination from space.
With backing from venture capital firms such as Lux Capital and Sequoia, Reflect has already secured $20 million in funding. The company aims to deploy its mirror constellation by the end of the next decade. Once fully operational, the system could theoretically provide coverage to all land areas on Earth.
If this technology gains traction, future developments may allow for illumination levels comparable to those of a sunny day at noon.
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The Progress M-15 precedent
The idea, however, is far from new. On February 4, 1993, the Russian spacecraft Progress M-15, after detaching from the Mir space station, deployed a reflective disc called Znamya-2 (“banner”) at a distance of 230 meters from the station. The experiment was intended to test orbital reflectors that could provide light to cities within the Arctic Circle during the long, dark winter months.
Other sources suggest the technology was also intended as a testbed for future solar sail propulsion systems.
The experiment yielded some results, but the technology was never developed further. While such systems may appear advantageous on paper, they raise serious questions about their impact on circadian rhythms, not only for humans but for animals and plants as well.
Numerous studies have shown that artificial nighttime lighting disrupts natural rhythms and can lead to health problems. For animals, it may interfere with reproduction, communication, and camouflage, and can increase their vulnerability to predators. Light pollution also affects insect populations, essential food sources for many animals. Artificial lights can disorient insects, drawing them toward light sources and ultimately leading to their death.
In humans, prolonged exposure to artificial light can disturb circadian cycles, cause sleep disorders, and increase the risk of various health issues.
In short: fascinating, yes—but not without risks. While high costs were a major obstacle in 1993, today it’s the ethical implications that might take center stage.
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Fun fact
In 1977, the Italian edition of Mickey Mouse comics featured a story strikingly similar to today’s concept.
Titled “Uncle Scrooge and the Solar Mirror”, the story saw the feathered fantastibillionaire come up with the very same idea. In a remarkably prescient twist, he even launched the mirror into orbit aboard a rocket that looked suspiciously like a Soviet R-7!
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