US start-up plans to sell sunlight at night with India's Skyroot Aerospace

Sunlight at night, sold on demand by an American space start-up using Indian rockets, is moving from science fiction towards commercial reality. California-based Reflect Orbital plans to place giant mirrors in low-Earth orbit and steer reflected sunlight onto chosen spots on the ground after dark. Customers could include solar farms wanting longer generating hours, rescue teams searching disaster zones, and industrial sites working through the night. The company has booked two launches with Hyderabad-based Skyroot Aerospace, tying India directly to a service no business has sold before. The first launch will use Skyroot’s Vikram-1 rocket, the second its newer Vikram-1U.Sunlight you can dim or switch off; five-kilometre swathe, with defence sites and events in mindAccording to PTI, the company intends to build a constellation of satellites rather than a single mirror. The Vikram-1U, which will fly the second mission, has additional first-stage boosters and improved performance, the company’s statement added.The company says its sunlight can be switched off at any moment, with brightness adjustable across a five-kilometre swathe. Beyond energy and emergency work, it pitches the servi...