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Action Alert: Provide Input to the FCC on Proposed Satellite Systems
The initial comment periods for these two satellite applications have now closed. Over 1800 comments have been submitted to the FCC regarding the Reflect Orbital application, and nearly 1500 comments have been submitted regarding the SpaceX Orbital Data Centers application.
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has recently opened comment periods for two satellite systems of interest to the astronomical community: (i) a filing for a single demonstration satellite from Reflect Orbital, which aims to sell sunlight at night, and (ii) a filing for one million orbital data centers by SpaceX. Any member of the public has the right to weigh in as the FCC considers whether to grant these and other applications (note that the FCC must consider whether a given proposed system is in the public interest). We have provided additional details about these satellite systems below; you can submit comments to the FCC following our step-by-step guide.
Please email us at [email protected] if you have any questions, and be respectful in any comment(s) you choose to submit (we strongly recommend that message align with the AAS Mission and Vision Statement and AAS Code of Ethics). While AAS is still preparing its organizational responses to these two filings, you may find it helpful to refer to the Society's statements on light pollution and satellite proliferation.
Reflect Orbital Filing
Reflect Orbital is a company with the long-term goal of delivering sunlight on demand using a constellation of in-space mirrors. On 31 July 2025, the company submitted a filing with the FCC for a single demonstration satellite, Earendil-1, which will be an 18 m x 18 m thin-film reflector at an altitude of 600 - 650 km. Reflect Orbital's website notes that this satellite will be comparable in brightness to the full moon, and will deliver a beam size that is 5 km in diameter on the Earth's surface. As the website notes, the company is aiming to deploy over 50,000 satellites by 2035, to enable lighting levels of 36,000 lux (comparable to daylight) for a span of hours, and 100 lux 24/7. Their website states that such light could not only be used for increased energy production, bubt could also "replace streetlights, reduce light pollution, enhance urban life." While Reflect Orbital's website states that the constellation will "maintain strict exclusion zones for astronomy and sensitive environments," the AAS has not received any confirmation of how those exclusion zones will be demarcated, chosen, or implemented.
The full FCC filing can be found here (note that you will need to create an FCC CORES account to view the files attached to the application).
- FCC file number: SAT-LOA-20250701-00129
- Deadline for public comments: March 9, 2026
SpaceX Orbital Data Center System Filing
On 30 January 2026, SpaceX submitted a filing to the FCC for one million data centers to be placed in space. This constellation would represent a factor-of-100 increase over the current satellite population in low Earth orbit. The new satellites are expected to be very large (larger than current Starlink satellites), due to the size of the solar panels required to power the data centers, and therefore very bright in reflected sunlight, although the application does not provide quantitative details. SpaceX also does not specify the exact altitude at which these satellites would operate, although the filing notes that they would orbit at an altitude of 500 to 2000 km. Given that their satellite altitudes would likely be higher than those of Starlink, the satellites would be visible for longer durations in the night sky. Additional details can be found in articles in Scientific American, PCMag, and The Register, among others.
The full FCC filing can be found here (note that you will need to create an FCC CORES account to view the files attached to the application).
- FCC file number: SAT-LOA-20260108-00016
- Deadline for public comments: March 6, 2026