meta_pixel
Tapesearch Logo
Log in
Let's Know Things

Orbital Power

Let's Know Things

Colin Wright

News Commentary, News

4.8593 Ratings

🗓️ 19 May 2020

⏱️ 29 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

This week we talk about Vladimir Syromyatnikov, space mirrors, and the X-37B.


We also discuss rectennas, space-based solar power, and the Znamya project.



This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit letsknowthings.substack.com/subscribe

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

The Zemnambia 2 was a space-based mirror that was launched in late October of 1992,

0:22.5

and then deployed in early 1993.

0:26.1

This satellite-based mirror was located next to the now-retired Mir space station,

0:30.9

and was 20 meters wide, which is a little over 65 feet wide,

0:35.7

and it reflected sunlight down to a five-kilometer or a little over

0:39.8

three-mile in diameter oval down on the surface of the planet. The reporting from this moment

0:45.4

when humans in the path of the mirrors target regions travel experienced the oval of light

0:51.3

passing over their homes is pretty remarkable. The luminosity in these regions, which is a measure of brightness, The

0:57.0

The amount of light passing over their homes is pretty remarkable.

0:59.0

The luminosity in these regions, the amount of light added to the night in these areas,

1:03.0

was approximately equivalent to what would have been provided by a full moon.

1:07.0

So the difference was fairly stark.

1:09.0

A normal night turned into a fairly bright, full-moon-esque night,

1:13.5

and this illumination was caused by a giant space mirror,

1:17.1

reflecting the sun's light down onto nighttime darkened parts of Europe.

1:21.4

This sounds a bit like a mad science experiment by conventional standards,

1:25.9

but the manned behind the Znamya, which means banner in Russian,

1:29.7

was a fairly prominent and level-headed person who had different long-term ambitions

1:34.3

for his space mirrors, though he did hope the mirrors themselves would serve a purpose

1:39.7

beyond merely allowing him to work on his true aspirations. Vladimir Sero Miatnikov was a Soviet space scientist

1:48.1

who is perhaps best known for a docking mechanism he designed, which allowed spacecraft of all

1:54.1

shapes and sizes to connect to each other. So when a craft from any country docks with the

...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Colin Wright, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of Colin Wright and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.

Copyright © Tapesearch 2026.