A bold plan to power solar farms at night using sunlight reflected from space is placing a California startup on a collision course with the global astronomical community. Reflect Orbital has requested an FCC license to launch up to 4,000 satellites into orbit by 2030, significantly increasing the amount of clean, renewable energy that solar farms can produce. The project has already attracted serious financial backing, including Sequoia Capital and tech billionaire Baiju Bhatt. However, the project has drawn the ire of astronomers, who warn that the “blindingly bright” light emitted by the fleet of satellites could significantly impact their work, leaving them unable to properly study the night sky. “Astronomers are certainly concerned about this,” said University of Washington researcher

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