FCC approves giant space mirror as astronomers warn of risks to the n…

The FCC approved Reflect Orbital's Eärendil-1 satellite, which uses an 18-metre reflective surface to redirect sunlight to Earth after dark, despite warnings from astronomers that future constellations of 50,000+ mirrors could damage telescopes and compromise scientific observation. The FCC just gave approval for orbital infrastructure that astronomers say will break their telescopes—and it approved only one satellite to avoid the harder fight about 50,000. If you sell ground-based optics, imaging systems or observatory equipment, you're now in a market race against light from the sky itself, and regulators have chosen the company, not the science.