Russian Kickstarter Proposes Satellite To Use Sunlight To Illuminate The Night Sky

Russian Beacon Satellite Set to Light Up the Night Sky: 'Artificial Star' Would Reflect Sunlight to Illuminate Parts of Earth

Crowdfunding target for next stage of testing has now been reached. Raised almost 1.8 million rubles (£17,365/$24,235) from 2,322 sponsors. It will be launched from a Soyuz 2 rocket with help from Roscosmos. Made of a reflective thin polymer film 20 times thinner than human hair.

Abigail Beall | March 1, 2016

The brightest star in the night sky is Sirius, known as the 'dog star' or Alpha Canis Majoris.
But that could be about to change if a crowdfunded project in Russia takes off as planned later this year.
Called the 'Mayak' or 'Beacon' project, engineers are hoping to launch a satellite that will become the brightest object in our skies, apart from the sun, thanks to a giant reflective sheet of material.

Russian Crowdfunded Satellite Set to Become the Night Sky's Brightest Star. Source: http://sputniknews.com/science/20160227/1035436151/mayak-satellite-launch-star.html

<more at http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-3470871/Russian-Beacon-satellite-set-light-night-sky-Artificial-star-reflect-sunlight-illuminate-parts-Earth.html; related articles and links: http://www.sciencealert.com/a-russian-satellite-could-soon-be-the-brightest-star-in-the-night-sky (A Russian satellite could soon be the brightest 'star' in the night sky. Just don't wish on it. March 1, 2016) and http://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2016/02/russian-crowdfunded-reflector-satellite-aims-to-be-brightest-star-in-the-sky/ (Russian crowdfunded reflector satellite aims to be “brightest star in the sky”. Mayak will bounce sun's rays back with 16 square meters of reflectors. February 29, 2016)>