China need no more flashlights?

xxx · 2018-10-24T00:27:44.000Z

No more streetlight?

China is launching artificial moons in urban areas

In one Chinese city, costly streetlights could soon be a thing of the past.

By 2020, the Tian Fu New Area Science Society plans to launch an artificial moon to light up the night sky. If the plan goes through, the so-called “illumination satellite” would orbit above the Chinese city of Chengdu and glow in conjunction with the actual moon, but shine eight times brighter. The organization says it will launch three more satellites in 2022 — potentially replacing streetlights in urban areas. The plans were announced by Wu Chunfeng, head of the society, at an innovation conference in Chengdu on October 10.

Chunfeng told China Daily that the satellite, launching from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center, will orbit about 300 miles (500 kilometers) above the city and use its mirror-like coating to reflect sunlight down to Earth.

Despite shining light in a similar way, the satellite boasts one advantage that the moon doesn’t — human control. Chunfeng says that both the location and brightness of the human-made moon can be changed, and that it can be completely shut off if necessary. And since the satellite is mobile, it can assist in disaster relief by beaming light on areas that lost power.

What are you thinking about it?

deleted-200707 · 2018-10-24T00:39:13.000Z

Do they have a neutral white version?

Iffn we did it here it would have commercials streaming.

DavidEF · 2018-10-24T00:50:04.000Z

In an article I read, they said that China will be testing in an uninhabited “desert” area first to check the potential ecological effects.

Another interesting point in that same article was that the ‘moons’ wouldn’t cover a very large area, only up to 50 miles in diameter. Still, they might be useful in some ways, if they don’t destroy the Earth. How many of us haven’t seen what happens when sunlight is concentrated in a spot?

P.S. While we’re on the subject of sunlight being concentrated on a spot, who trusts China to NOT use this as a weapon in the future? :smiling_imp:

Parametrek · 2018-10-24T01:10:30.000Z

Scott Manley did a good explanation and debunking: Is China's Artificial Moon Plan Possible? - YouTube

Tldw: It would only light a small area for a few minutes on a few nights each month. It isn’t possible to use it as a weapon against ground targets. He also looks at how impractical a “useful” system in geo orbit would be.

Summary of tldw: Annoying publicity stunt.

BlancoFire · 2018-10-24T02:58:32.000Z

Strobe?

Tjohn · 2018-10-24T04:05:56.000Z

For use during the day in large cities to boost light levels beneath the pollution ?

nottawhackjob · 2018-10-24T06:58:21.000Z

“When the faux moon hits your eye like a big chow mein pie that’s aluxamoraaaaaaaay.”

X31 · 2018-10-24T06:31:31.000Z

Yay, kill ALL the night ! Because who need to enjoy the view of the stars anyway ?

Tom_Tom · 2018-10-24T09:07:16.000Z

Idiocy.

Getting worse, because some arty-farties seem to have got enough money together to actually do it.

Orbital Reflector

Orbital Reflector - Nevada Museum of Art

Orbital Reflector encourages us to look at the sky with a renewed sense of wonder, to consider our place in the universe, and to reimagine how we live together.

There was talk of space reflectors focussing down sunbeams onto solar farms, as there was also talk of using them as solar shades to combat “climate change”.

By the way, the Hubble telescope is actually just a re-purposed Keyhole satellite spare, donated. Except they forgot to focus it on infinity instead of the Earth below, hence the need to add the “spectacles”.