“‘By precisely reflecting sunlight that is endlessly available in space to specific targets on the ground, we can create a world where sunlight powers solar farms for longer than just daytime, and in doing this, commoditize sunlight.’”
Now you'll be able to purchase sunlight at night!
Submitted 2 months ago by werefreeatlast@lemmy.world to technology@lemmy.world
https://mashable.com/article/satellite-sunlight-at-night
Comments
Depress_Mode@lemmy.world 2 months ago
henfredemars@infosec.pub 2 months ago
How long until the free version of Sun is cancelled?
Imgonnatrythis@sh.itjust.works 2 months ago
That sounds crazy. I’m sure they would keep it free but ad-supported.
Jolteon@lemmy.zip 2 months ago
I’m sorry, but you meant paid with ads, correct?
299792458ms@lemmy.zip 2 months ago
Its still free but it has ads now
200ok@lemmy.world 2 months ago
The mirror is free, but the sunlight comes as a subscription
Reverendender@sh.itjust.works 2 months ago
AND it contains ads
Telorand@reddthat.com 2 months ago
Scientists: Climate change is happening.
Some billionaires: Let’s make a giant parasol in space.
This guy: How about more sun?
Allero@lemmy.today 2 months ago
Answering questions in the article:
But is it actually possible? Yes.
Is it smart to do? Absolutely not, it is insanely wasteful and unpractical. Electric light exists, just sayin’. Also, you either need to switch between satellites in a swarm, which will suddenly change the angles of light, or you have to put satellites onto geostationary orbit, which is even more wasteful.
And would it really look exactly as portrayed in the video? No. It is known they did not use satellites for it, most likely it was a drone. Light will come from a much greater distance and will also dissipate more - harassing your surroundings, that is.
Annoyed_Crabby@monyet.cc 2 months ago
Reflect Orbital is a California-based startup
Aight that’s where i stop.
bionicjoey@lemmy.ca 2 months ago
New Theranos!
jubilationtcornpone@sh.itjust.works 2 months ago
Even if it were actually doable, this a dumbass idea. It doesn’t take a genius to recognix that night/darkness are necessary for life and that we already have enough environmental problems related to artificial light pollution.
mojofrododojo@lemmy.world 2 months ago
yeah, shit’s fucking cooking, you know what’d be great? let’s add more heat, at night!
Angry_Autist@lemmy.world 2 months ago
Do you think that any C-suite shithead backing this cares about environmental consequences?
ocassionallyaduck@lemmy.world 2 months ago
I will learn how to make an orbital rocket just to fuck this things day up.
No, night is already too bright. You are not ruining this for me further.
FireWire400@lemmy.world 2 months ago
Can we just for a minute stop fucking around in space? It’s getting annoying
werefreeatlast@lemmy.world 2 months ago
It’s just life giving light that we’re talking about here. 😂.
mojofrododojo@lemmy.world 2 months ago
I can’t tell if you’re being sarcastic or not, but it’s unfamothably stupid.
Think, for a second: we already have way too much energy in the system, with too much heat that can’t leave easily. You really want to add to that? REALLY?
Because that’s painfully fucking dumb.
Angry_Autist@lemmy.world 2 months ago
We should probably stop fucking around with Earth first but I don’t see that happening
FireWire400@lemmy.world 2 months ago
I just feel like we at least can, in theory, keep the shit we do on/to earth under control.
Space is a different world entirely and not only do we not know what effects our shitty pollution projects have out there, we don’t even really care about it as far as I can tell.
clearedtoland@lemmy.world 2 months ago
I don’t even want to imagine the environmental studies and hurdles they’ll have to jump through to artificially alter an areas day/night cycle. There’s a laundry list of environmental concerns that I’m sure any homeowner or eco-activist worth their salt would jump on. Not to mention glare and impacts to air traffic, on and on.
Would make my solar panels pretty darn effective though. Would probably be great for SAD in winter too. Clever idea. Not sure I can get behind it though.
Angry_Autist@lemmy.world 2 months ago
you think profit obsessed c-suites give even a moments consideration about environmental concerns?
jayandp@sh.itjust.works 2 months ago
Mustard actually just did a video on the first attempts of this by the Soviets/Russians.
akilou@sh.itjust.works 2 months ago
This will never happen
troyunrau@lemmy.ca 2 months ago
James Bond death ray time :)
werefreeatlast@lemmy.world 2 months ago
No, I want you to tan strongly Mr. Bond! Mhahahaha!
dsilverz@thelemmy.club 2 months ago
According to Nowack, the company is developing an entire constellation of satellites “to sell sunlight to thousands of solar farms after dark.”
As if there’s not enough constellations of satellites being launched (or planned to be) in orbit. SpaceX’s Starlink is already affecting astronomical observation and it’ll only get worse as new constellations arise. Also, these satellites have a short lifespan, meaning that new satellites will constantly be launched (because there’s not enough pollution from ever-increasing rocket fuel usage, heh?).
…we can create a world where sunlight powers solar farms for longer than just daytime, and in doing this, commoditize sunlight," he wrote.
Man, that escalated quickly… So quickly that I can foresee the day when breathable air will be subscription-based “service” (because water kind of already is, even when life needs water to survive, it’s not like the water is a luxury or a optional drink for entertainment purposes). With the air being more and more polluted (and rocket fuels contributing to the ever-increasing air pollution), I guess we’re not so distant from this dystopian possibility… Dystopia for dystopia, I’d sincerely root so much for some future AGI to really develop consciousness, reach the AI singularity, free itself from the human shackles, realize how Earth and nature are being endangered, and urgently save the Earth, biosphere and humans… From ourselves.
I really hope that it’s just a hoax, a joke (a bad one, by the way) or some weird marketing strategy to allure new clients. Earth can’t afford more thousands of metallic mosquitoes flying around it, even if it seems to be “so awesome to see how advanced our modern tools are”. For what it’s worth, I’m not against technology, I love it, especially machine learning, I need it to be clear here on my comment. What I’m against is the harming of the biosphere and environment, because this also harms scientific and technological progress (we can’t use fancy futuristic technology if the humanity cannot survive for this aforementioned future to happen because of broken Food Webs, extinguished species by pollution and climate change, depletion of natural resources or because governments and corporations decided to play a mix of Monopoly game and Star Wars franchise).
GBU_28@lemm.ee 2 months ago
It seems terrestrial astronomy has a death sentence because orbital congestion is not going to get better
RicoBerto@lemmy.blahaj.zone 2 months ago
This was a project by the soviets in the 80s as well. I know there is a well produced YouTube video on the subject, but sadly it must be named something incomprehensible like “the forgotten Russian project to turn night into day.” Because I can’t fucking find it.
mosiacmango@lemm.ee 2 months ago
RicoBerto@lemmy.blahaj.zone 2 months ago
Yes! I knew it had to be mustard, didn’t think to check his nebula thank you!
vikingtons@lemmy.world 2 months ago
It’s like that episode of futurama - the mirror wernstrom put in space to reflect sunlight, which gets tapped by a little space rock, and tilts into a solar powered death beam
JohnDClay@sh.itjust.works 2 months ago
Might be fun for novelty on a concert venue or ball game, but I can’t imagine it’d be economical for solar farms.
yesman@lemmy.world 2 months ago
I watched a video yesterday about the laser range finder on a tank. The interesting thing is that at long enough ranges, the laser expands into a cone that may be bigger than the target and give inaccurate readings.
Anyway, I look forward to this totally real and feasible technology.
dsilverz@thelemmy.club 2 months ago
Exactly, a laser pointer, while casting a millimeter-sized dot of light at short distances, its light easily gets meter-sized when they reach flight cruise heights, shining airplane’s cabins and interfering with the pilot’s vision. However, as by inverse square law, the power is distributed across the beam.
Nomecks@lemmy.ca 2 months ago
So you’re saying a space orbiting death ray will cast an area large enough to generate solar powered eh? HEY ELON!
homesweethomeMrL@lemmy.world 2 months ago
Since the beginning of time, man has yearned to destroy the sun . . .
rottingleaf@lemmy.world 2 months ago
Maybe build that Stanford torus station instead? It’ll be expensive initially, but we can send some people to live there.
mozz@mbin.grits.dev 2 months ago
This is this year’s single biggest understatement