Reflect Orbital sells sunlight at night, but don't trust that fancy video
mashable.com
It's... intriguing.
  • mozz@mbin.grits.dev
    80·
    3 months ago

    How will launching mirrors of the size of your entire farm (if not hundreds times larger) for extra 30 min of sunset ever be more cost-effective than simply adding a small percentage of extra PV panels

    This is this year’s single biggest understatement

  • Depress_Mode@lemmy.worldEnglish
    692·
    3 months ago

    “By precisely reflecting sunlight that is endlessly available in space to specific targets on the ground, we can create a world where sunlight powers solar farms for longer than just daytime, and in doing this, commoditize sunlight.”

  • Telorand@reddthat.comEnglish
    553·
    3 months ago

    Scientists: Climate change is happening.

    Some billionaires: Let’s make a giant parasol in space.

    This guy: How about more sun?

  • ocassionallyaduck@lemmy.worldEnglish
    461·
    3 months ago

    I will learn how to make an orbital rocket just to fuck this things day up.

    No, night is already too bright. You are not ruining this for me further.

  • Allero@lemmy.todayEnglish
    351·
    3 months ago

    Answering questions in the article:

    But is it actually possible? Yes. It’s not complicated by modern space industry standards.

    Is it smart to do? Absolutely not, it is insanely wasteful and unpractical. Electric light exists, just sayin’. Also, you either need to switch between satellites in a swarm, which will suddenly change the angles of light, or you have to put satellites onto geostationary orbit, which is even more wasteful.

    And would it really look exactly as portrayed in the video? No. It is known they did not use satellites for it, most likely it was a drone. Light will come from a much greater distance and will also dissipate more - harassing your surroundings, that is.

  • jubilationtcornpone@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
    311·
    3 months ago

    Even if it were actually doable, this a dumbass idea. It doesn’t take a genius to recognize that night/darkness are necessary for life and that we already have enough environmental problems related to artificial light pollution.

  • clearedtoland@lemmy.worldEnglish
    251·
    3 months ago

    I don’t even want to imagine the environmental studies and hurdles they’ll have to jump through to artificially alter an areas day/night cycle. There’s a laundry list of environmental concerns that I’m sure any homeowner or eco-activist worth their salt would jump on. Not to mention glare and impacts to air traffic, on and on.

    Would make my solar panels pretty darn effective though. Would probably be great for SAD in winter too. Clever idea. Not sure I can get behind it though.

    • werefreeatlast@lemmy.worldOPEnglish
      84·
      3 months ago

      Oh Mr X guy, so you want to fly a Teslas into space? Are there environmental impacts? Oh. Yes, one more million. Okay looks like you’ve covered all the possible impacts, you have our go for launch!

      • Grippler@feddit.dkEnglish
        61·
        3 months ago

        Sending a rocket on a ridiculously stupid task with no useful purpose is not even remotely close to having the same negative impact as this has the potential to. It’s so far apart that it is honestly quite stupid to even attempt to compare them.

        • werefreeatlast@lemmy.worldOPEnglish
          53·
          3 months ago

          Oh wait…

          Oh Mr X guy, so you want to fly a big ass mirror into space? Are there environmental impacts? Oh. Yes, one more million. Okay looks like you’ve covered all the possible impacts, you have our go for launch! We might need a few more millions of reasons to keep the masses at bay please. Thank you!

          • webghost0101@sopuli.xyzEnglish
            5·
            3 months ago

            Honestly if X guy could please hurry up and buy this company.

            I need them to go bankrupt or have become illegal before they send some actual junk into space. And if they do send something it needs to have stupid decisions by a higher up so it cant actually remain up there and ruin the nights further.

  • Ilovethebomb@lemm.eeEnglish
    19·
    3 months ago

    This has the potential for some amazing pranks. Imagine being on a camping trip somewhere, the dawn light illuminates your tent, so you get up and start going about your day, making breakfast etc, and all of a sudden the sun goes out.

      • mojofrododojo@lemmy.worldEnglish
        53·
        3 months ago

        I can’t tell if you’re being sarcastic or not, but it’s unfamothably stupid.

        Think, for a second: we already have way too much energy in the system, with too much heat that can’t leave easily. You really want to add to that? REALLY?

        Because that’s painfully fucking dumb.

      • FireWire400@lemmy.worldEnglish
        2·
        3 months ago

        I just feel like we at least can, in theory, keep the shit we do on/to earth under control.

        Space is a different world entirely and not only do we not know what effects our shitty pollution projects have out there, we don’t even really care about it as far as I can tell.

        • Angry_Autist (he/him)@lemmy.worldEnglish
          21·
          3 months ago

          I just feel like we at least can, in theory, keep the shit we do on/to earth under control.

          We aren’t even doing it NOW though… Not even close.

          Space will become so littered with high speed debris that within our lifetime it will be no longer safe to launch.

  • RicoBerto@lemmy.blahaj.zoneEnglish
    18·
    3 months ago

    This was a project by the soviets in the 80s as well. I know there is a well produced YouTube video on the subject, but sadly it must be named something incomprehensible like “the forgotten Russian project to turn night into day.” Because I can’t fucking find it.

    Here’s a Smithsonian article instead. here