Reflect Orbital
American space technology company
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Reflect Orbital, Inc is an American privately held space technology company headquartered in Hawthorne, California.[1] Founded in 2021, the company designs and builds satellites with large-scale deployable mirrors to point sunlight onto Earth's surface.[2] The stated goal is to provide responsive lighting after dark and to increase the effective hours of solar energy production.[3] Investors in the company include venture capital firms such as Sequoia Capital and Lux Capital.
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| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Space |
| Founded | January 2021 |
| Founders |
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| Headquarters | , United States |
| Products |
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Number of employees | 60 (2026) |
| Website | reflectorbital.com |
History
Reflect Orbital was founded in October 2021 by Ben Nowack and Tristan Semmelhack in Santa Monica, California. Nowack is a former aerospace engineer from SpaceX[4] and Semmelhack is a former mechanical engineer at Zipline who dropped out of Stanford University in December 2022 to join Nowack as co-founder.[5]
In March 2024, Reflect published a demonstration of a 64 sq ft (6 sq m) mirror being robotically controlled from a hot air balloon to redirect sunlight to solar panels on the ground during astronomical twilight. The demo attracted attention from venture capitalists and angel investors. In June 2025, the Air Force Research Laboratory and AFWERX awarded the company a US$1.25 million Phase II Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contract to develop reflector technology.[6][7][8] By the end of 2025, the company received more than 260,000 requests for nighttime illumination for construction projects, public events, search and rescue efforts, military operations, and disaster relief.[9]
In September 2024, Reflect raised US$6.5 million in a seed round led by Shaun Maguire and Sequoia Capital with participation from Baiju Bhatt and Zipline co-founders Keller Rinaudo and Keenan Wyrobek. The investment marked Sequoia's first investment in a space company since SpaceX in 2010.[10] In May 2025, the company announced that it raised another US$20 million from Lux Capital, Sequoia Capital, and Starship Ventures.[11][12] As of 2026, the company has US$35.2 million in total funding.[13]
Two proof-of-concept satellite missions are designed to reflect light at low intensity comparable to moonlight in 2026. Reflect applied to the Satellite Licensing Division of the Federal Communications Commission for a license to launch and operate a constellation of satellites beginning in 2027.[14]
Eärendil-1
In May 2025, the company announced that its first satellite, Eärendil-1, would act as a demonstration of deployable large-scale heliostat technology in Sun synchronous orbit. The vehicle is named after Eärendil the Mariner from Lord of the Rings, a fictional character who shines light down to the world by becoming the "evening star" Venus. The mission has the goal of illuminating ten locations around the globe after launching in mid-2026.[15]
The satellite features an 18 meter by 18 meter (59 ft) mirror weighing 16 kg (35 lbs) made from mylar plastic typically used in spacecraft multi-layer insulation. When the glossy fabric is tensioned to form a reflective surface, the mirror is expected to reach 0.1 lux of brightness akin to a full moon when viewed from Earth's surface. The reflector was designed by engineers from the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory and uses an origami folding concept.[16] The satellite will orbit at 600-625 km (373-388 mi) altitude and cast a 6 km (3.7 mi) diameter light spot visible as a passing star.[17]
In September 2025, Reflect selected SpaceX as a launch provider for the first two launches using Falcon 9 beginning no later than 2026.
Technology concerns
The company's plans to build a constellation of satellites with large mirrors has met criticism from astronomers concerned that bright orbiting objects will interfere with observational astronomy.[18][19][20] Others have argued that manipulating nighttime illumination poses a threat to the health of humans and wildlife by affecting circadian rhythms. In December 2025, Drew Reagan, a member of the dark-sky movement, published opposition to the project.[21] In response, the company said it would work closely with astronomers during its 2026 demonstration mission to minimize impacts on observations and the night sky.[22]
