Les Assises du NewSpace - Saison 2

On the stage of Les Assises du NewSpace - Season 2, 2023, LightMirror's representative, Dimitri, introduced the company's innovative ventures to the leading figures of the space industry. This pivotal event in the NewSpace sector offered attendees a glimpse into LightMirror's advanced research on novel materials, solar laser pumps for space applications, telecoms and processes aimed at de-orbiting space debris.

LightMirror, a company deeply engaged in making space safer and more sustainable, showcased its primary project - a sunlight beam focusing module. With plans to apply for the EIC Pathfinder space challenge in October 2023, the company is boldly venturing into uncharted territories.

LightMirror's ambitious space project seeks to address the growing threat of space debris using concentrated solar technology. By gathering and focusing sunlight into a high-intensity beam, the system aims to direct this energy towards space debris, causing them to re-enter Earth's atmosphere and disintegrate. The project beautifully illustrates LightMirror's belief in the immense power of sunlight, not just as an inexhaustible energy source on Earth, but as a potent tool for preserving our space environment.

Space debris, the remnants of past explorations - defunct satellites, fragments from collisions and explosions, and discarded rocket parts - pose a significant risk to our planet's orbit. Travelling at incredibly high speeds, this debris threatens existing satellites vital to GPS, weather forecasting, and high-speed internet, complicating human space missions and posing potential security threats. The challenge to manage and mitigate this issue is colossal and is a task that scientists and engineers worldwide are grappling with.

LightMirror's sunlight beam module is a three-part system:

1. The entrance mechanism, inspired by existing solar tube technology, uses a series of mirrors and lenses to efficiently guide light into an optical fibre bundle.

2. The system includes an optical amplifier to enhance the sunlight's coherence length and control spectrum distribution around a single wavelength.

3. Lastly, a precise mechanical arm at the output end allows for beam direction control. This arm, along with an algorithm, ensures accurate beam delivery, tracking the debris target with smaller laser power.

During the presentation at Les Assises du NewSpace, Dimitri articulated LightMirror's mission of clearing the path to the stars, making space safer, and more accessible. With this revolutionary technology, LightMirror extends an invitation to professionals from concentrated solar facilities and university researchers to join their application to the EIC Pathfinder, further consolidating global efforts towards a cleaner and safer space environment.

More information on our space project page.