Selling the sun
A video has recently gone viral online, in which a man who is standing on the outskirts of Los Angeles at night claims he can instantly “summon” sunlight. He opens a mobile app, enters his location, and clicks the “light up” button. Immediately, his surroundings are illuminated.
The man is Ben Nowack, the founder of the emerging lighting and energy company Reflect Orbital.
The video showcased the company”s core concept: using a series of satellites orbiting Earth to reflect sunlight and deliver it to specified locations for customers.
Nowack hopes that with this service, people can purchase sunlight on their phones at any time of night, whether for outdoor camping, concerts, romantic proposals, finding their way in the forest, or even powering solar energy systems.
Nowack, who previously worked as an engineer at SpaceX, is well-versed in the aerospace industry. His partner, high school classmate Tristan Semmelhack, is a drone expert.
Six months ago, Reflect Orbital was officially founded. The team began in-depth research on the business and identified their biggest challenge: launching thousands of satellites for the project.
Another pressing need is investment. Media estimates suggest that this project could require tens of billions, if not hundreds of billions, of dollars.
The project has also been receiving much criticism online. YouTuber Dylan O’Donnell released a video accusing Nowack of “being a fraud “and suggested that this grandiose project is just a ploy to deceive investors.
In a world where light pollution is already a growing concern, this may not be the “bright” project as Nowack aspires.
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