Satellite That Can Create Artificial Meteor Showers To Launch Soon

A private company based in Japan is preparing to launch a small satellite that’s capable of causing colorful artificial meteor showers on Earth. According to the company, the satellite will demonstrate its capabilities in 2020.

Astro Live Experiences (ALE), a company based in Tokyo, Japan, has developed a satellite that can recreate a stunning cosmic event visible from Earth. Dubbed as ALE-2, the satellite is only about 31 inches tall and 24 inches wide and weighs around 165 pounds.

According to a statement from the company, ALE-2 carries hundreds of tiny pellets that the satellite will shoot towards Earth. These pellets are designed to remain visibly longer than natural meteorites and come in various colors such as blue, pink, orange, green and white. The company noted that about five to 20 artificial meteors can be spotted during each shower depending on weather conditions.

“A natural meteor is caused by plasma light emission when dusts of various size rush into the Earth's atmosphere,” the company stated. “ALE artificially replicates some of the smaller space particles and releases them from a specially designed satellite to create manmade meteors.”

Although they can last longer than meteorites, the company noted that the pellets will completely burn up and disintegrate somewhere 37 to 50 miles above Earth’s surface. This means they do not pose a threat to people on the ground. ALE also maintained that airplanes are not in danger of getting hit by the pellets.

The ALE-2 is designed to shoot out pellets through a nozzle on its body. To ensure that it is right on target, the satellite I equipped with special thrusters so it can easily maneuver over various parts of Earth.

The launch window for ALE’s satellite will begin on Nov. 25, which means ALE-2 could reach low-Earth orbit before the month ends. Lena Okajima, the CEO of the company, confirmed that the first live demonstration of ALE-2’s artificial meteor shower could take place sometime in 2020.

“With this launch, we are a step closer to realize the man-made shooting star,” the company official stated. “Please look forward to the world's first demonstration we are aiming in 2020, which will be a major milestone for ALE.”

According to the company, it plans to use manmade meteor showers to celebrate major events such as the upcoming Summer Olympics in Tokyo in 2020.