This start-up wants to provide sunlight at night with mirrored satellites

A company is developing satellites with 'giant mirrors' designed to reflect sunlight back to specific locations on Earth after dark. Reflect Orbital says the technology could support solar farms, emergency response and agriculture. But reflecting sunlight into the night sky could also affect astronomy, wildlife, aviation and access to naturally dark skies. The technology remains experimental, and its wider environmental and social impacts have not yet been fully assessed. The debate raises a broader question: how can space innovation develop responsibly, without treating the night sky as an unlimited resource? The World Economic Forum’s Future of Space Community serves as a platform for public-private cooperation, uniting experts from business, government and academia to explore the responsible and sustainable development of space technologies.