Shooting Stars on Demand from a Japanese Startup

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.