Reflect Orbital

[Michel Van]

Reflect Orbital is new startup company with bright idea

launch solar reflectors into earth orbit and illuminate Solar power farms on night site of Earth for a fee..

Reflect Orbital - Solar energy, after dark

Reflect sells sunlight to solar farms using reflective satellites

www.reflectorbital.com

what i think of this idea

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BwSts2s4ba4

 

[Prophet141]

On a large enough scale, orbital solar isn't a bad idea. Not sure if solar reflectors are the best way to go about it. The alternative I've heard mentioned is microwave emitters and receivers, as those wavelengths travel well through Earth's atmosphere, even clouds.

This idea of using mirrors is cheap and lightweight, but is still subject to weather issues. And it might be a few decades too early.

 

[Dilandu]

Well, Russia experimented with orbital mirror concept in early 90s. The "Znamya" project (rus. "Banner") was centered around collapsible metal film reflector, deployed from "Progress" cargo ship after it detach from "Mir" station:



"Znamya-1" was deployed in February 1993. The 20-meter diameter reflector created a bright spot about 8 km in diameter on Earth, with luminosity of full moon.

The follow-up "Znamya-2.5" was planned to use larger (25 m diameter) concave reflector, stabilized by centrifugal force, and precisely controlled. The goal was to demonstrate the ability to hold a spot at selected point of Earth surface for prolonged time. Unfortunately, due to computer error, the mirror was not properly deployed and experiment failed.

"Znamya-3" was planned to use much larger, 60-70 m diameter reflector. Unfortunately, financial troubles led to it cancellation before launch.

 

[Dilandu]

what i think of this idea

Well, its obviously workable, and did not require any nonavailable technology, so... why not?

 

[Michel Van]

Well, its obviously workable, and did not require any nonavailable technology, so... why not?

Wen you think thorough on concept, problems show up:

How much light is reflected ? enough to power Solar farm on earth ?
if you take high reflected material solve that problem, but open new ones:

Light pollution, those reflectors will be very bright in night sky.
disrupting wildlife, astronomers and people try to sleep.

How better reflection more push the light the reflector out it orbit.
This also called Solar-sail, but you can use this to your advantage, preventing reentry of reflector.
Or moving reflector to new position for client.
Even make the reflector to a Starllite, Solar-sail a in fixed position held by equilibrium of Light and gravity.

What orbit ?
issue here take, low orbit, the reflector past too fast over Solar farm and it can not illuminate on dark side of earth.
medium orbit and the reflector is in cloud of Starlink or Kupier Satellites
You need higher orbit what make the reflector large very large, and its development more and more difficult.
(imagine a football-field size reflector squeeze in payload bay of Falcon 9 rocket)

There homepage graphic show a ring of reflectors in low Polar orbit,
i wonder if they try deflect light from one Reflector to another to target.
and i don't know if that even feasible...

 

[Dilandu]

How much light is reflected ? enough to power Solar farm on earth ?
if you take high reflected material solve that problem, but open new ones:

Well, as I said above, 20-meters solar reflector was able to illuminate circular area of about 8 km in diameter with brightness about 0,25-0,3 lux.

The "Znamya-2.5" concave reflector was designed to illuminate the sane area with the brightness about 1.5-3 lux.

About 50 such reflectors would be able to illuminate the same area with 100 lux brightness of clear sunny day.

Light pollution, those reflectors will be very bright in night sky.
disrupting wildlife, astronomers and people try to sleep.

The light is focused, and you could use it to illuminate solar panels in desert, or offshore. So no one would be disrupted.

imagine a football-field size reflector squeeze in payload bay of Falcon 9 rocket)

Erm. The reflector is a very thin metal film structure, most likely inflatable. Falcon-9 rocket could easily handle several dozens of them.

 

[publiusr]

Simpler than photovoltaics. Simple reflectors could also be useful to heat working fluids…less prone to solar events…

 

[Grey Havoc]

Well, Russia experimented with orbital mirror concept in early 90s. The "Znamya" project (rus. "Banner") was centered around collapsible metal film reflector, deployed from "Progress" cargo ship after it detach from "Mir" station:


View attachment 722346
"Znamya-1" was deployed in February 1993. The 20-meter diameter reflector created a bright spot about 8 km in diameter on Earth, with luminosity of full moon.

The follow-up "Znamya-2.5" was planned to use larger (25 m diameter) concave reflector, stabilized by centrifugal force, and precisely controlled. The goal was to demonstrate the ability to hold a spot at selected point of Earth surface for prolonged time. Unfortunately, due to computer error, the mirror was not properly deployed and experiment failed.

"Znamya-3" was planned to use much larger, 60-70 m diameter reflector. Unfortunately, financial troubles led to it cancellation before launch.

On a side note, the BBC website put up a story on it yesterday:

'It could illuminate an area the size of a football stadium': How Russia launched a giant space mirror in 1993

The Znamya project had the potential to change the world. The BBC's Tomorrow's World reported on an experiment that was launched in February 1993.

www.bbc.com