"Called Reflect Orbital, the venture started taking reservations for "spots of light" back in August, showcasing its service with numerous mockup videos. In one clip, Reflect cofounder and former SpaceX intern Ben Nowack is shown messing around with the company's app on his phone. He scrolls across an overhead map of terrain, bringing a simulated spot of light over to the location he's supposedly standing."
"However, the startup recently applied for a license with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to launch a 60-by-60 foot demo craft in April of 2026, Space.com reported this week. That's after winning a $1.25 million contract from the US Air Force, of all places, on top of a $20 million Series A funding round to build out its "sunlight on demand" service, which Reflect says will "strengthen the national defense of the United States of America.""
Orbital real estate is growing increasingly cluttered with communication, observation, research, and navigation satellites and represented a $286 billion market in 2022 with projected rapid growth. Reflect Orbital proposes a massive array of satellite mirrors to reflect sunlight down to paying subscribers and began taking reservations for "spots of light" in August. The company showcased mockup videos featuring cofounder Ben Nowack manipulating an app to place simulated beams on a terrain map. Reflect has not yet launched any of the 4,000 satellite mirrors it sold. The startup applied for an FCC license to launch a 60-by-60 foot demo craft in April 2026 and cites a $1.25 million US Air Force contract plus a $20 million Series A round. Reflect markets the service toward national defense, civil infrastructure, industrial agriculture, and promotional uses.
Read at Futurism
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