by Michael DiMario, PhD, AAAP Astroimaging Chair

Astroimagers, Environmentalists, and Fellow Stewards of our Planet,

It has come to my attention by the AAS in regard to the plans and seeking FAA approval by Reflect Orbital to light up our night sky by an additional 4 hours.

The AAS policy team is requesting input from the community regarding the potential impacts of Reflect Orbital’s proposed reflector satellites on astronomical research and night sky visibility. Reflect Orbital is a satellite company that plans to deliver sunlight at night by building a constellation of reflectors in low Earth orbit beginning in 2026, with the goal of 4,000 satellites in orbit by 2030. Each satellite is expected to reflect ~0.8 lux (4-5x the brightness of the full Moon) to a ~5 km diameter beam on Earth’s surface.

Needless to say this is of extreme concern.  I have posted a survey by AAAS below.  We need to fight this as well as gather others in this fight.

https://www.reflectorbital.com/
https://techbriefly.com/2024/08/26/reflect-orbitals-night-solar-power-2024/
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfYW7dw2oGU0y8wyFu-6lA1_aG8o5CiCPUyw8fVWn5uD8x76A/viewform