Shooting Stars on Demand from a Japanese Startup
The company ALE is going to try to reproduce this phenomenon by releasing tiny pellets between two satellites at high speed.

ALE Co.,Ltd.
Japanese company ALE specialises in space and is reaching for the stars. In early 2023, it plans to create its first artificial meteor shower over Hiroshima, a city that offers suitable weather conditions and an appropriate geographical location.
Shooting stars that can be reproduced anywhere in the world
To achieve this, ALE (short for Astro Live Experiences) set two micro-satellites filled with tiny pellets (400 in total) into orbit in 2019. A third is due to be launched in late 2022. The aim is to release these pellets at high speed so they burn up as they enter the atmosphere. This phenomenon will ‘emit bright light through plasma emission’, the company website claims, just like real shooting stars.
The company hopes that the spectacle in Hiroshima will act as a showcase for the whole world. As the reserve of artificial shooting stars has been dispersed into space, they can be ‘delivered’ over any region in the world. The individual behind this project is Lena Okajima, who has a PhD in astronomy from the University of Tokyo and is the founder of the startup. Beyond simply putting on a show, however, ALE also aims to support scientific advances. Given that they are creating shooting stars, they might as well study them too.
More information about this project can be found on ALE’s website.

ALE Co.,Ltd.

ALE Co.,Ltd.

ALE Co.,Ltd.

ALE Co.,Ltd.
TRENDING
-
The Tattoos that Marked the Criminals of the Edo Period
Traditional tattoos were strong signifiers; murderers had head tattoos, while theft might result in an arm tattoo.
-
From Neo-Pop to Conceptual Art, The Growing Popularity of Japanese Contemporary Artists in France
Driven by a ‘contemporary Japonisme,’ the works of Takeru Amano, EXCALIBUR, and Daijiro Hama have found their audience.
-
Shizuka Yokomizo, between Exhibitionism and Surveillance
'Dear Stranger' is the story of a troubling relationship between the photographer and the subject, who meet without seeing each other.
-
God is in the Wired in ‘Serial Experiments Lain’
This experimental cyberpunk animation from the late 1990s depicts our warped reality in the age of mass communications.
-
Recipe for Ichiraku Ramen from ‘Naruto’ by Danielle Baghernejad
Taken from the popular manga with the character of the same name who loves ramen, this dish is named after the hero's favourite restaurant.