Tech startup illuminates California desert in nighttime light test

The tech startup Reflect Orbital tested high-powered spotlights near Lone Pine, California, on October 10. The New York Post reported that the test illuminated a three-mile stretch of desert at night. [1]

The company hauled high-powered generators and spotlights up Horseshoe Meadows Road near Mount Whitney to project intense beams onto the desert floor. Reflect Orbital partnered with volunteers from the China Lake Mountain Rescue Group for the demonstration. [1]

The demonstration used powerful spotlights in the mountains instead of mirrors in space. According to the New York Post, the test caused public criticism and scientific concerns, but it aimed to showcase the company's plan to deploy 50,000 satellites over the next decade to reflect sunlight onto selected locations on Earth after dark. [1]

California is the most populous state in the United States and the third largest by land area, situated in the Western United States along the Pacific Ocean. [2]