Reflect Orbital Adds Two Skyroot Missions to Its Manifest
Reflect Orbital has agreed to purchase two launches from Indian launch provider Skyroot Aerospace, one on the Vikram-1 rocket and one on the upgraded Vikram-1U. The company did not reveal the price or timing of the missions, and a spokesperson said Reflect Orbital will be the only payload on the flights. Reflect Orbital aims to build a large constellation of orbital mirrors to provide sunlight after dark, and it received FCC approval for its first mirror satellite earlier this year.
Reflect Orbital has booked two dedicated flights from India’s Skyroot Aerospace. One uses Vikram-1, which debuted in July and can lift about 350 kilograms to low Earth orbit. The other uses Vikram-1U, expected to debut in Q1 2027 with roughly 550 kilograms of LEO capacity. Prices and dates were not disclosed.
The deal comes as launch capacity is tight. SpaceX’s Transporter rideshare stopped taking reservations after 2029, leading some operators to buy whole rockets. Reflect Orbital says it will be the only payload on both flights. It aims for a roughly 50,000-mirror constellation after FCC approval for its first mirror satellite, Eärendil-1.
If Reflect Orbital’s mirror constellation advances, it may affect energy users, solar farm operators, and communities seeking nighttime illumination. Dedicated launches could also signal demand for smaller launch providers like Skyroot, potentially diversifying access to orbit. Yet the scale and brightness of many mirrors could raise questions about night-sky visibility and environmental effects, though actual outcomes remain uncertain.