You can play well on Reflect Orbital.
© Reflect Orbital / Screenshot
One of the major drawbacks of solar power generation is that night falls at some point, even on clear days. Starting in California Reflect the orbit Now I want to find a solution to this problem.
one big mirror in space Sunlight must also be directed towards the solar systems. Reflectswhen the sun has already set. “For some reason, people accept that the sun sets in the evening,” he says. Ben NowakStartup founder in video.
Sun at the push of a button
At a conference a few months ago, he explained how it works: “We want to make it as easy as possible – sign up for a website, share your location with us. GPS coordinates “We do that and make sure you get sunlight after dark,” Nowak says.
➤ Read more: How Mirrors in Space Could Boost Solar Energy Production on Earth
ask for the sun
The startup recently launched its website, as Mashable discovered. You can “order” sunlight on it. For 4 minutes You can get one. radius 5 km It has been irradiated. Delivery is scheduled to begin in the fourth quarter of 2025. You can still apply until October 23.
To be selected, you can do additional things. Documents In addition to the application. What exactly this could be remains an open question.
➤ Read more: Solar roof over canals aims to combat drought
Sunlight via mobile app
In a video on X, Nowack shows how it should work in the future. You can use a cell phone app to choose where you stand and then get reflected sunlight. Exactly how the video was created is unclear. It would be possible that one Drone It has been used. Reflect Orbital has already experimented with such devices in the past. Experiments have also been conducted using a hot air balloon.
In the future they want a full one. constellation of satellites Send it into a space equipped with mirrors. After all, it is supposed to reflect light widely.
Many questions remain unanswered
Of course, this also raises many questions that go beyond basic feasibility. What is the impact of satellites on Light pollution On the ground? How Plants and Animals What if sunlight is reflected widely?
How? active Will the reflected sunlight actually be reflected or how much solar energy can be produced with it? Nowack addresses these questions in part in this video.
Zenamia
The idea itself is not new. Russia conducted very similar experiments in the 1990s as part of Znamya. And in 1993, a mirror was successfully deployed from the Mir space station.
Produces a cone of light approximately Its diameter is 5 kilometers, Which was visible over Europe. In 1999, a 7-kilometer cone was supposed to be created, but it failed. After that, the Znamya project was discontinued.
Will the sun come through the mirror?
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