Artificial moon
Satellites were originally called artificial moons.[1]
The term is now used to anything put into orbit to reflect sunlight down to Earth, such as a Solar mirror.
Russia[edit]
In the 1990s Russia experimented with solar mirrors, hoping to reflect sunlight to some of its cities. The first test functioned for a few days before its de-orbit, but the second test failed to unfold and was incinerated in the atmosphere. The project was subsequently scrapped. [2]
China's proposed artificial moons[edit]
By 2022, China plans to have three artificial moons in orbit around the Earth.[3] These will shine 8 times brighter than the natural moon.[4] By having this as a light source, China believes it could save over a hundred million dollars a year from the cost of electricity used for streetlights.
There are some concerns about how the absence of a normal day and night cycle will effect the minds and bodies of humans and animals.[5]
Commentary from Ryan Russell, an associate professor of aerospace engineering at the University of Texas at Austin, is skeptical of this project. The initial claim was for a satellite orbiting 300 miles away from Earth, however such a satellite would not be able to stay in one place without the use of rocket thrusters. For an artificial moon to be geostationary without the use of rocket thrusters, it would need to be approximately 22,000 miles away.[6]
References[edit]
- ↑ "NASA - John F. Kennedy Space Center - Kennedy Space Center Story". www.nasa.gov. Retrieved 2020-09-14.
- ↑ "How a Russian Space Mirror Briefly Lit Up the Night". Smithsonianmag.com. Retrieved 2020-09-13.
- ↑ Xiao, Bang (2018-10-18). "China plans to launch artificial moon bright enough to replace streetlights by 2020". ABC News. Retrieved 2019-10-04.
- ↑ "China plans to launch world's first "artificial moon" over city to light up night sky". www.cbsnews.com. Retrieved 2019-10-04.
- ↑ 陈子琰. "Man-made moon to shed light on Chengdu in 2020 - Chinadaily.com.cn". www.chinadaily.com.cn. Retrieved 2019-10-04.
- ↑ Friday, Nathaniel Scharping | Published:; October 26; 2018. "Why China's artificial moon probably won't work". Astronomy.com. Retrieved 2020-09-18.
See also[edit]
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