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Astronomers breathed a sigh of relief last week when the much-trumpeted
Russian space mirror, Znamya, was abandoned after its foil reflectors snagged on
an antenna and failed to open. Znamya was part of an experiment to reflect the
Sun’s rays towards Russia and provide sunlight during the winter darkness. The
project has raised the hackles of astronomers because if such mirrors are
successful, future, larger versions could create light pollution. After two
unsuccessful attempts to unfurl the mirror, Znamya was allowed to burn up on
re-entry last Friday.