Space Mirrors Will Light-Pollute Nights

A startup proposes launching thousands to hundreds of thousands of mirror satellites to reflect sunlight onto solar plants at night. While it could boost generation, it would also impose severe light pollution, disrupt circadian health and ecosystems, hinder astronomy, and exacerbate orbital‑debris risks. The true system cost likely outweighs the added electricity. — It forces policymakers to weigh energy gains against large cross‑domain harms and to consider governance limits on orbital megaconstellations that alter Earth’s night environment.