Artificial Meteor Showers
Space Startup Spotlight: ALE
The majority of new space enterprises are in the business of laying the groundwork for the anticipated space-based economy. In many respects, they are akin to the railroad companies of the 19th century, providing the critical infrastructural bedrock on which civilization will flourish.
Astro Live Experiences (ALE), however, takes a wholly different tack from its peers. It wants to get people interested in space through entertainment, not engineering.
The Japanese firm is essentially a high-tech firework company. But instead of selling Roman candles, it offers punters satellite-launched projectiles that burn up in the atmosphere like meteors.
In November 2019, the startup announced that it would be sending a small 165-pound satellite into a 250-mile orbit to create artificial shooting stars. Customers anywhere in the world, the company says, will be able to request light shows covering more than 200 km of the sky for special occasions.
ALE’s approach to creating a space-based business is a stroke of genius. While launch pads and space-based refueling depots are critical parts of the infrastructure puzzle, they don’t necessarily inspire the general public. ALE’s product, however, will.
Dr. Lena Okajima founded ALE all the way back in 2011. The original purpose of the firm was nothing to do with putting entertainment in space. Instead, it was to “anchor space into [the] culture and empower humankind to [seek out] new endeavors.” Like other firms, therefore, the spirit of exploration is at the core of what it is doing. But the way that it wants to get there is entirely novel. Who would have thought that we would see companies creating artificial meteor showers for profit?
The technology behind the shooting start mechanism is surprisingly advanced. The company takes advantage of the fact that satellites move around the Earth at high speed. When the ALE satellites jettison their pellets, they quickly come into contact with the atmosphere, creating friction and heating up. Their kinetic energy converts into heat and light, providing a spectacle below.
People may eventually come to prefer ALE shooting stars to the natural variety. The company is already working hard to develop pellets that will last longer, burn brighter, and look more beautiful than their natural rivals. Early tests in the company’s plasma wind tunnel show that it can already create white, orange, green, pink, and blue lights, and there may be more to follow.
Of course, the company is keenly aware that the notion of launching projectiles at the Earth at thousands of miles per hour will be unpalatable for some. So, for that reason, it is developing robust satellite tracking technology to ensure that its manmade pellets never hit satellites beneath. Working with Japan Aerospace Exploration agency, it is investigating how it can use the Earth’s magnetic field to slash the risk of space debris.
The company’s ALE-1 and ALE-2 satellites are currently undergoing testing to ensure that all their systems function correctly before the firm begins offering services to customers. Once they get the green light, it will open up a brave new era in how we think about space.
You can learn more about ALE from their website, and their social media accounts: Twitter & Instagram
“Space Startup Spotlight” is a new, regularly-scheduled, profile of an up-and-coming space startup from around the world by NewSpace Hub.
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