A Japanese startup wants to produce artificial meteor showers



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  leonid meteor shower
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Who says you have to wait for a meteor shower? Certainly not ALE Co., a Tokyo-based startup that wants you to wish on a shooting star whenever you want. The company is looking to develop a system that would offer paying customers "shooting stars on demand", and according to a Japan Times report, the first artificial meteorite rain in world history could take place in just two years.

The system depends on two satellites, both under development. The first should be launched in orbit in March 2019, while his brother would take flight next summer. Each satellite will carry about 400 tiny spheres, each containing an exclusive chemical formula that mimics shooting stars in the sky. Think of it, in some ways, as an extraterrestrial fireworks. Each of the smaller spheres could be reused, which means that they could be reused for between 20 and 30 artificial star shows.

The satellites would have a lifespan of about 24 months and would be programmed to send tiny fireworks to the right place, speed and direction in order to get visible illumination even in an area metropolitan area (think Tokyo or New York). And because they would be launched in the space, millions of viewers could enjoy the show from their own homes, says ALE.

"We are targeting the entire world because our stock of shooting stars will be in the air and Lena Okajami, CEO of ALE, told reporters:

If all the systems were to continue to operate normally during these planning and production phases, both satellites could be in place by February 2020 and a first test could be ready to go later in the spring.This means we are less than two years old to think of all our most pressing desires and make as many wishes as possible.

The first test should take place on Hiroshima, which was chosen for its climate, its landscape, and the cultural background, The company said it is unclear how much you will have to pay to order your own meteor shower.The initial tests have a budget of $ 20 million, which includes the cost of launching a pair of satellites.










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