The Astro Live Experiences-2 (ALE-2) satellite of a Tokyo-based company was launched to the Earth's orbit in December 2019 atop a Rocket Lab Electron booster. Initially, they planned to create meteor shows at special events for thousands of people to see.
The 165-lb. (75 kilograms) spacecraft carries 400 spherical pellets, each one 2cm (less than an inch) in diameter. They are designed to blaze in brilliant colors as they burn up while passing through the Earth's surface.
The satellite will release a few of them at a time to allow for a meteor shower that is three to ten seconds long. It was estimated that the show could last for several minutes, Lena Okajima told BBC. However, the company announced last month that it would not be able to deploy the spheres this year.
What Went Wrong?
On April 20, ALE representatives said that after conducting testing and analyses on the satellite, it revealed "that one of the parts that are supposed to launch the particle[s] is not moving properly and that it cannot get back to its designated position. This means that the launch action cannot initiate, and it is not possible to transition to the release action."
Due to the vacuum of the space, they found that it causes frictional forces that are greater than they are here on Earth, and as a result, the materials stick together more easily. According to their findings, the effect of space on the satellite was greater than what they were expecting, and this could mean that the design value might not be up to the required force for the artificial meteor shower to happen.
ALE CEO Lena Okajima said that the company would consider this information while developing the ALE-3 satellite, which is scheduled to launch in 2022 and begin its commercial operations in 2023.
She added that this time they would definitely succeed and hopes that they will continue to get support from the public in this venture.
Sky Shows for Big Events
The Tokyo-based Astro Live Experiences envisions staging sky shows for big events, like the Olympic Games opening ceremonies. Their promotional videos make the process of achieving artificial meteor show seem effortless, but in reality, it was not.
Compared to the real meteors, the company planned that the artificial shooting stars will travel far more slowly through Earth's atmosphere. Therefore, it will remain visible for much longer, for about three to ten seconds per shooting star, said the ALE representatives.
As stated in their company Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) section, the light-generating pellets will not harm the people on the ground or those flying in planes in the air. The spherical shootings stars are designed to burn up 37 to 50 miles above the Earth's surface.
ALE-2 is the second satellite of the Japanese company, while its first satellite was launched in January 2019. It was initially scheduled to make meteors sometime this year, but like the ALE-2, plans may have also changed for this satellite.
Okajima said in an April 2020 statement that her company hopes "to realize our man-made shooting star in early 2023," according to Space.com.
