A STAR FOR HUMANITY

is a highly reflective satellite that blinks brightly across the night

* A STAR FOR HUMANITY

Visible with the naked eye, the Humanity Star is a highly reflective satellite that blinks brightly across the night sky to create a shared experience for everyone on the planet.

Created by Rocket Lab founder and CEO Peter Beck, the Humanity Star is a geodesic sphere made from carbon fibre with 65 highly reflective panels. It spins rapidly, reflecting the sun’s rays back to Earth, creating a flashing light that can be seen against a backdrop of stars.

Orbiting the Earth every 90 minutes and visible from anywhere on the globe, the Humanity Star is designed to be a bright symbol and reminder to all on Earth about our fragile place in the universe.

* FAQS

How does it work?

The Humanity Star is a geodesic sphere is made from carbon fibre with 65 highly reflective panels. The sphere spins rapidly, briefly reflecting the sun’s light back to Earth to create a fleeting moment of light.

How can I see the Humanity Star?

You can track the Humanity Star’s location at www.TheHumanityStar.com to find out when it will be overhead and visible in your region. Depending on where the Humanity Star’s is in its orbital path, it may be months before it is clearly visible in your part of the world.

As the Humanity Star experiences drag from the atmosphere at the lowest point in its orbit, the satellite will slow down creating a slight alteration in the orbital path. For this reason, any predicted pass times more than three days away will only be a general anticipated time, rather than exact viewing times. The farther the anticipated pass time, the less accurate it will be, so check the tracker as the time gets closer for a more accurate calculation. Once a pass is within 24 hours, the accuracy of the Humanity Star’s position will be refined to minutes.

How long will it remain in orbit?

The Humanity Star will orbit the Earth for approximately nine months before its orbit starts to decay and it is pulled back into the Earth’s gravity where it burns up on re-entry leaving no trace in space or on Earth.

How big is the Humanity Star?

The Humanity Star is 1m high (3.2 ft.), and weighs around 8 kg (17.6 lbs).

Who created the Humanity Star?

The Humanity Star was created by Rocket Lab Founder and CEO Peter Beck. It was born of the desire to encourage people to consider their place in the universe and reflect on what’s important in their own lives and the lives of humanity as a species.

Is The Humanity Star visible during the day?

The Humanity Star is not visible during the day. It is best viewed at dawn or dusk. At that time, for just a few brief seconds, the Humanity Star will be slightly brighter than the stars alongside it - just enough to draw people’s eyes skyward and leave them looking at the night sky long after the satellite has passed.

Will the Humanity Star impact my view of the night sky?

The Humanity Star will create fleeting glint of light across the sky, lasting just a few seconds as it reflects sunlight back to the Earth’s surface. The Humanity Star will be most visible at dawn and dusk, generally just above the horizon. It is designed to briefly catch people’s eyes, drawing their gaze to the stars and universe beyond The Humanity Star, leaving them looking at the night sky long after the satellite has passed.

How bright will it be?

For a brief moment, The Humanity Star will be slightly brighter than the stars alongside it. The light from passing aircraft will be more obvious and significantly more frequent than The Humanity Star.

How often can I see the Humanity Star?

Due to the nature of orbital mechanics, the Humanity Star will only be visible from the same spot on Earth a handful of times in the star’s short, nine-month lifespan.

Will you put another Humanity Star up when this one de-orbits?

No. The Humanity Star is designed to be a one-time, short-term experience. The intention was always to draw more people to the night sky, perhaps those who may not otherwise be looking.