# Commercial sunlight at night, mirrored from space

**URL:** <https://solarpunkarchitecture.org/t/commercial-sunlight-at-night-mirrored-from-space/98>\
**Category:** Solar architecture\
**Tags:** mirrors, space\
**Created:** [January 23, 2025, 10:00pm UTC](https://solarpunkarchitecture.org/t/commercial-sunlight-at-night-mirrored-from-space/98 "2025-01-23T22:00:00Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Justinas](https://solarpunkarchitecture.org/user_avatar/solarpunkarchitecture.org/justinas/32/326_2.png) [@Justinas](https://solarpunkarchitecture.org/u/Justinas)\
**Post date:** [January 23, 2025, 10:00pm UTC](https://solarpunkarchitecture.org/t/commercial-sunlight-at-night-mirrored-from-space/98/1 "2025-01-23T22:00:00Z")

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![image](https://solarpunkarchitecture.org/uploads/default/original/1X/60c9af679fe6243266e39e1ead58e7abef1ae479.jpeg)

[Reflect Orbital](https://www.reflectorbital.com/) is building prototypes satellite mirrors to reflect Sunlight to earth at night. Their primary target seems to be Solar panel parks, which could continue energy production during dark hours. However, you can also [reserve a spot of sunshine](https://www.reflectorbital.com/lighting) anywhere in the world. Delivery promised Q4 2025.

[![](https://solarpunkarchitecture.org/uploads/default/original/1X/e7516fc9f3a047bd1aac3a5be31cf655a0dac155.jpeg "Project Sunriser") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4hUNCtDTIZc)

> **[This Company Wants to Sell You Sunlight at Night From Space](https://www.vice.com/en/article/solar-power-at-night-reflect-orbital-satellite-startup/)**
>
> Reflect Orbital will use a satellite with a mirror on it to reflect sunlight to a specific location on Earth.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Justinas](https://solarpunkarchitecture.org/user_avatar/solarpunkarchitecture.org/justinas/32/326_2.png) [@Justinas](https://solarpunkarchitecture.org/u/Justinas)\
**Post date:** [October 25, 2025, 4:53am UTC](https://solarpunkarchitecture.org/t/commercial-sunlight-at-night-mirrored-from-space/98/2 "2025-10-25T04:53:54Z")

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Some technical debunking of this idea:

> **[The true cost of "solar power at night" with Reflect Orbital](https://bigthink.com/starts-with-a-bang/true-cost-solar-power-night-reflect-orbital/)**
>
> Solar power has the disadvantage that there's no Sun at night. Satellite startup Reflect Orbital wants to change that, but at what cost?

One calculation which clearly is missing from the startup proposal, is the immense spread of energy, leaving way less than a watt per square meter on ground from their 10x10m satellite mirror, which is already a challenge to put up to the space. So not really feasible.

Another, more interesting, but also less convincing, is that such satellites would burn our eyes. Not so sure if that is correct.. especially given that super low energy reach on the ground.

If you prefer more “infotainment” style of debunking, there is also a video by David L. Jones: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lkjyeI0ykGM](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lkjyeI0ykGM)