Friends of the Night Sky can help with the facts about this hideous idea.

Terrible idea.

Of course, seems rather difficult to do, in real life, to (1) get the thousands of pieces of mirrors up there (or similar objects), get arranged precisely, gather the collected energies, ship it to Earth somehow for use, etc. Sounds like a lot of complicated tasks. They've done this on a far smaller scale, e.g., solar on satellites, but not on the scale like this.

Worth trying but make it scalable, so if successful, can easily add to, e.g., attach it to the space station/etc., keep adding to it over the years instead of rebuilding the whole damn thing again and again and again.

Last edited Tue Jul 14, 2026, 01:48 AM - Edit history (1)

Corporate logos floating across the night sky

(edited for grammar)

We don't see them. They're not on our "radars". They don't have a vote.

Does every nation get to put its own 50,000 satellite constellation in orbit and shine down on whatever areas it wants?

This sounds so ridiculous that in must be a spoof. Or another dumb US money-making/losing venture.

We are already affected by too much artificial light. Oh well, throw it on the pile of our quest to destroy all that should be natural for the well being of us and the planet.

is it possible to turn these to nefarious uses???

Ever see "Diamonds Are Forever"????

R and D . Then not so much for a few years, money still flowing in. Then years of testing, more money 💰 then. ,,................... Nothing. More money 💰. Because it's a stupid idea. But MONEY 💰

It could have profound impacts on wildlife, fish and humans. Some animals and fish are nocturnal, and could be wiped out or severely impacted by this proposal. The FCC has no authority to circumvent NEPA. I am not even sure they have jurisdiction over this decision. What exactly does an agency that regulates broadcast transmissions have to do with mirrors that transmit light to dark areas of the planet?

This could be devastating to nocturnal and diurnal species, with further negative impacts right down the food chain.

... of this idea burns brighter than the mirrors they propose. Proof that Trump is not content with destroying America; he wants to reduce the entire planet to ashes.

Satan, it's long past time for you to call your boy home, otherwise there'll be nothing left for you to haunt.

59 square feet? or 59 ft on an edge? If it's 59 feet on an edge and there's 50,000 of them, at full efficiency (100% reflectivity) that's 174,000,000 square feet, or less than 6.5 square miles. Even fully deployed this will not illuminate a quarter of Manhattan at full sunlight. They're testing one unit. It will not be 100% efficient, nor will it even likely work. Let them play with their toys. This concept is no threat to the night sky overall, which has already been ruined by streaks from Elon's satellites zipping by the thousands. BTW, there are already about 10,700 Starlink satellites in the sky and each has a surface area of 1248 square feet, for a total of 13,353,600 square feet of reflective junk just from him alone. And it's spread out everywhere, inescapably blotting out the clear view of the sky. It drives astronomers nuts. They detest him. At least this thing would be all in one place, wrecking just one spot in the sky. No big whoop so far.

And the cost of setting up even that small area of illumination on earth, not counting the maintenance, would be unimaginable. Even with Elmo's supposedly "reusable" vehicles.

Let the big brained ape trap themselves under their own shattered dysfunctional Dyson sphere. We will reverse launch ourselves back into the 1700's lol

Which makes me think probably mylar balloon-type material.

Just because you CAN definitely does not mean you SHOULD.

And, silly me, I'd rather de-fund ICE, cut the military budget significantly, and have MY tax dollars, that I pay in to my government, which is SUPPOSEDLY of, by and for the people, to be used for stuff that HELPS ME AND MY FAMILY at our kitchen table.

Healthcare.

Childcare.

Great schools.

Debt-free college.

Affordable housing.

Now here's just another way to waste money we no longer have because of decades of irresponsible tax cuts for billionaire parasites and corporations on shit we don't need, like these ridiculous mirror satellites.

WHY?????????????????????????????

24/7. It'll probably make shitty things even worse. That's just me, I'm sure all the greedy effers will profit.

so guests can cook eggs anywhere without special cooking equipment

shoot them down if they become a problem.

I like living in the country in the dark.

Always puzzled me why almost EVERY family had huge, glaring, OBNOXIOUS mercury-vapor lamps outside their ranch houses. The damned things actually make it harder to see into the night beyond the light, making it easy to miss large animals with big teeth and claws, or humans with nefarious intent while lighting up anyone under those lights, making them easy targets.

Never could figure it out. They don't make one safer for sure. My husband, who lived among those people much longer than I had, said 'They are afraid of everything, and very afraid of the dark'. Realizing how they voted and how easily they were manipulated by GOP pols always ramping up fear of everything, I saw his point.

Whoever is pushing to turn night into full time day is probably going to appeal to such fearful people.

Gads, I am SO glad to be old and not likely to have to venture far into the future these nature hating idiots plan.

What could go wrong?

Too hot! TOO HOT!!

or does the FCC have final say?

I could go on for hours why this idea is stupid but the first thing I thought of is the dark side is where the planet sheds heat. Reflecting sunlight will reverse that creating a cycle of increasing heat. Rather than increased crop yields it would cook the crops in the fields. Famine would be endemic.

Arrogant assholes who just can't leave the natural order alone.
I don't see anything good coming from this. It's in the order of, "lets try this, and see what happens".

Seems fair.

What could possibly go wrong?