Reflect Orbital’s idea to deflect sunlight with a constellation of space mirrors has earned funding from a new seed round.

A California-based startup called Reflect Orbital working to sell sunlight energy after the sunset plans to build thousands of space mirrors – similar to Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite network – that would turn the Sun’s rays towards the dark side of the planet.

It’s not going to shine the whole Earth surface in the darkness but only divert light onto specific points on the ground, the company explains on its website.

Rings of satellites in sun-synchronous orbit would follow the line that separates night and day, providing additional sunlight before dawn and after dusk in order to increase the amount of solar power delivered to the electricity grid, Reflect Orbital’s co-founders, CEO Ben Nowack and CTO Tristan Semmelhack, explain the idea.

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Why build more solar farms while we can simply increase the amount of power generated at the ones that already exist? the two entrepreneurs wonder.

When Nowack posted a video showcasing its plans and later both posted a concept demo video earlier this year, criticism poured in as very few believed the project is sustainable.

But others pulled money from their pockets to boost the effort. Sequoia Capital investor Shaun Maguire, who contributed funding to Space X in 2019, and Starship Ventures led the $6.5 million seed round that completed in September, Reflect Orbital announced in a statement.

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The team, which includes engineers from the aerospace industry, now has more leverage to attract talents and to redesign its 10x10-meter wide prototypes into large, economically-justified satellites.

The company intends to launch the first experimental pieces to Earth’s low orbit between June and October of 2025, attempting to fulfill the first of the 180,000 applications from customers looking to light their homes, office buildings or solar farms on the ground during the night time.

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