Webpages tagged with «space»

US approval for Reflect Orbital’s plan to put reflecting satellites into orbit in order to reflect light from the sun into Earth has reignited a heated debate among astronomers, space scientists and ecologists. The company says it has received more than 260,000 inquiries from customers wanting redirected sunlight for energy, disaster relief, agriculture, defence and city lighting. Researchers warn that if the project grows from a few demonstrators to a constellation of tens of thousands, the consequences for ground- and space-based astronomy, orbital safety and nocturnal ecosystems could be severe.