LIVE MISSION STATUS · ALL OPERATORS · ALL NATIONS
Space Mirror Tracker
Live Status
Every orbital mirror mission ever attempted or proposed — from Russia's Znamya-2 in 1993 to Reflect Orbital's EARENDIL-1 targeting 2026. Launch countdowns, orbital parameters, and real-time pass predictions once satellites go live.
0MIRRORS IN ORBIT NOW
2HISTORICAL FLIGHTS
1FAILED DEPLOYMENTS
1LAUNCHES IMMINENT
◈ NEXT CONFIRMED ORBITAL MIRROR LAUNCH
EARENDIL-1 — Reflect Orbital
Estimated launch window: mid-2026 · FCC filing confirmed · US Air Force SBIR contract awarded
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ALL MISSIONS
Complete Mission Registry
FLOWN · 1993
Znamya-2
RSC Energia / Russian Space Agency · Progress M-15 / Mir Station
MISSION COMPLETE
DEORBITED
DEORBITED
20mMIRROR DIAMETER
~390kmORBITAL ALTITUDE
Mag. ~5PEAK BRIGHTNESS
The first orbital mirror ever deployed. Unfurled from Progress M-15 cargo craft docked to the Mir space station. The aluminised Mylar reflector successfully traced a ~5km beam across nighttime Europe, confirming the fundamental physics. Visible from the ground. Refolded after the demonstration and burned up on re-entry with the Progress craft.
FAILED DEPLOY · 1999
Znamya-2.5
RSC Energia / Russian Space Agency · Progress M-40 / Mir Station
DEPLOYMENT FAILED
PROGRAMME ENDED
PROGRAMME ENDED
25mMIRROR DIAMETER
~390kmORBITAL ALTITUDE
Mag. ~3TARGET BRIGHTNESS
A larger follow-on to Znamya-2, targeting magnitude 3 brightness — comparable to a bright star at dusk. The reflector snagged on an external antenna on the Progress craft during deployment and failed to fully unfurl. The experiment was terminated, and the programme was cancelled after Mir's controlled deorbit in March 2001.
SHELVED · 2018–2020
Chengdu Artificial Moon
Chengdu Aerospace Science Institute · Chengdu City Government · China
NO HARDWARE
PROGRAMME INACTIVE
PROGRAMME INACTIVE
UndisclosedMIRROR SIZE
~500kmPROPOSED ALTITUDE
8× MoonCLAIMED BRIGHTNESS
Announced by Chengdu city officials in 2018, the proposal claimed a reflective satellite could illuminate up to 50km of urban area with 8× the brightness of the full moon, reducing streetlighting costs. Global media coverage was extensive. Chinese aerospace scientists publicly questioned the technical and economic claims. No funding, hardware, or launch schedule was ever confirmed. The proposal appears inactive as of 2024.
PENDING LAUNCH · 2026
EARENDIL-1
Reflect Orbital · USA · FCC application filed
PRE-LAUNCH
MID-2026 TARGET
MID-2026 TARGET
18×18mMYLAR MIRROR
625km SSOTARGET ORBIT
~VenusPEAK BRIGHTNESS
The first commercial orbital mirror and the first illumination satellite since Znamya-2.5 (1999). A demonstration satellite for Reflect Orbital's planned constellation of 4,000 mirrors. Funded by $20M from Lux Capital and Sequoia. A US Air Force SBIR contract ($1.25M) validates military illumination applications. Each pass delivers ~3.5 minutes of enhanced light to a ~5km footprint. Pass tracking will go live on OrbitalNodes.ai at launch.
PROPOSED · 2027+
Reflect Orbital Constellation (Phase 2+)
Reflect Orbital · USA
CONTINGENT ON
EARENDIL-1 SUCCESS
EARENDIL-1 SUCCESS
4,000SATELLITE TARGET
625km SSOORBIT
20% SunTARGET INTENSITY
Reflect Orbital's full commercial vision: a pole-to-pole sun-synchronous constellation delivering coordinated mirror passes over solar farms, entertainment venues, and military targets. Sun-synchronous orbit keeps every satellite in near-constant sunlight. The 4,000-satellite figure has attracted the most criticism from astronomers and the IAU, who argue it would fundamentally alter the shared night sky.
Pass Tracking Goes Live at EARENDIL-1 Launch
OrbitalNodes.ai will display predicted mirror pass times, illumination angles, and beam targets from launch day. No install required — runs in your browser.