Regulating orbital sunlight reflection
A new technology threatens to fundamentally change not just the night sky, but the night as we know it. Reflect Orbital, a California-based startup, has received approval from the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to launch its first orbital reflector as soon as next year, with ambitious plans to deploy up to 50,000 satellites.
Using large mirrors mounted on satellites, the technology would redirect sunlight onto Earth’s surface at night. Marketed as “sunlight on demand,” Reflect Orbital’s proposal would allow paying customers to illuminate large areas (approximately five kilometers across) at brightness levels several times greater than the full moon.
If deployed as proposed, orbital illumination systems threaten to introduce light pollution on an unprecedented scale, disrupting nocturnal ecosystems and diminishing the quality of life in communities by depriving them of natural darkness.
What can I do to protect my community?
DarkSky has developed ready-to-use resources to help communities and lawmakers establish protections against orbital illumination, including model ordinances for cities and towns, bills for state legislatures, declarations of non-consent for governing bodies and landowners, and an international adaptation guide.
Together, these resources lay the groundwork for the first laws and policies specifically regulating orbital illumination technology, empowering communities and advocates to take action and build a united front to protect the night.
Which template is right for you?
Choose the template that best matches your authority. These resources are designed to work together, so more than one may apply. Download and customize the Word versions for local use, and consult legal counsel before introducing them.
Not sure where to start? The package overview provides a brief summary of each template, what it can and cannot address, and how the resources work together.
Package overview: PDF / DOC
DarkSky Template
Model declaration of non-consent
Use this if you want the quickest way to go on record. Any council, park authority, university, observatory, tribal government, land trust, or private landowner can adopt it. It carries no penalties and can be adopted in a single meeting.
DarkSky Template
Model municipal ordinance
Use this if you’re a city, town, or county official or an advocate working with your local council. It bans the sale and local infrastructure of orbital illumination services within city limits and puts your community on record as non-consenting. A council can act in weeks. Start with the cover memo, which explains how the ordinance is organized, then adapt the ordinance template to your municipal code.
DarkSky Template
Model state bill
Use this if you’re a state legislator, legislative staffer, or advocate working at the state level. It covers the marketing and sale of the service, ground stations, state contracting, and the receipt of reflected light anywhere in the state. Start with the cover memo, which explains why a state can act and the decisions to make before introducing the bill, then fill in the bill template with legislative counsel.
DarkSky Template
Model federal bill
Use this if you’re working with members of Congress or their staff. It extends the existing federal ban on licensing launches for obtrusive space advertising to cover any payload built to reflect sunlight toward Earth, and calls for a review of authorizations already issued.