Night Light
Astro Live Experiences, the company that wants to illuminate the night sky with artificial shooting stars, is nearly ready for its cosmic debut.
The tiny satellite, ALE-2, will be launched into orbit on November 25, according to Space.com. After that, the company will run a few final tests before preparing for its first fake meteor shower in 2020. In other words, if all goes well, the night sky is about to be illuminated by awe-inspiring space garbage igniting in the upper atmosphere.
Burning Garbage
The satellite will launch centimeter-long pellets that will incinerate upon re-entering Earth’s atmosphere. From the ground, they’re expected to look similar to slow-moving shooting stars and will take anywhere from three to ten seconds to burn away, Space.com reports.
“With this launch, we are a step closer to realiz[ing] the man-made shooting star,” Astro Live Experiences CEO Lena Okajima said, per Space.com. “Please look forward to the world’s first demonstration we are aiming [for] in 2020, which will be a major milestone for ALE.”
READ MORE: Japanese ‘Shooting-Star’ Satellite to Launch on Landmark Rocket Lab Flight This Month [Space.com]
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