The FCC has approved the right of startup company, Reflect Orbital, to use radio frequencies in the S-, X- and UHF bands, to launch and communicate with its low-earth orbit satellite, the Eärendil-1 (uh-RAN-dill One), which it has scheduled for launch later this year.

The satellite's mission is to capture and reflect sunlight into darker regions of the Earth via a giant 60-foot reflector from its orbit 600 to 650 kilometres above the planet. The company intends for this test satellite to be the first of up to 50,000 such orbiting mirrors. Reflect Orbital believes the satellite's beam, which would be 5-kilometres, or 3-miles wide on the ground, could be harnessed to power solar farms or illuminate disaster areas where rescue workers toil late into the night.

Agency approval was granted on the 9th of July despite vocal objections about light pollution from opponents such as the American Astronomical Society. A number of environmental groups have observed how nocturnal species' lives can be disrupted and perhaps imperiled by artificial light during the night. According to various media reports, opposition had been overwhelming among the more than 1,800 public comments the FCC received.

According to the company's account on LinkedIn, Reflect Orbital received a $1.2 million Small Business Innovation Research grant from the Department of Defense, through the Air Force, which sees promise in having additional sunlight transform military operations.