Reflect Orbital, a California-based startup, aims to launch a cluster of mirrors into orbit to transmit sunlight to solar power plants, increasing electricity production after dark.
Ben Nowack, the founder and CEO of Reflect Orbital, presented the company’s plans at the International Space Energy Conference held in late April, according to Space. A prototype satellite that reflects sunlight could be launched next year.
Simulation of a satellite equipped with mirrors reflecting sunlight to Earth. (Image: Security Lab).
Reflect Orbital plans to develop a cluster of 57 small satellites orbiting Earth in a sun-synchronous orbit at an altitude of 600 km. In this orbit, the satellites will circle the Earth from pole to pole. The satellites will pass over every point on Earth at the same time each day, twice within a 24-hour period. In total, the 57 satellites will provide an additional 30 minutes of sunlight to power plants during peak energy demand times, according to Nowack.
The cost of solar panels has dropped by 90% over the past 15 years, according to the International Renewable Energy Agency, and their efficiency continues to increase thanks to advancements in photovoltaic technology. As a result, solar power is currently the cheapest form of electricity available to humanity, according to Carbon Brief.
However, the intermittent nature of solar energy production remains a challenge that experts are still struggling to address. On cloudy days, solar plants generate less power than on clear days. At night, solar energy production stops completely. Battery systems and other forms of renewable energy can compensate for this shortfall. To date, nuclear power plants and thermal power stations still play a backup role.
Reflect Orbital’s satellites weigh only 16 kg and are equipped with 9.9 x 9.9 m Mylar mirrors for deployment in orbit. Mylar is a type of plastic used for insulation and packaging in space. The mirrors will be adjusted to focus the sunlight into a narrow beam that can be redirected and concentrated based on the needs of the solar farm operator.
Last year, Reflect Orbital tested the mirrors on a balloon floating 3 km above a solar farm. They were able to produce 500 watts of energy per square meter of solar panels. The company has raised sufficient investment to launch its first test satellite into space in 2025.
