Once in 1993, Russia launched a giant space mirror called Znamya into orbit to reflect sunlight onto Earth. This was to light up Arctic cities in Siberia during dark winters. The idea of using mirrors in space to reflect light was not new, dating back to 1923. In the 1940s, German scientists even designed a orbiting weapon called the Sun gun. In the 1970s, a German engineer revisited the concept of space mirrors. In 1993, Russia attempted to launch Znamya to illuminate a football stadium-sized area on Earth. However, the project faced challenges, like difficulty controlling the intensity of the reflected light and maintaining stability in orbital conditions. Later, a Russian scientist named Vladimir Syromiatnikov proposed using reflective solar sails attached to spacecraft to harness sunlight similar to how sailboats use wind. These sails could reflect sunlight onto Earth's polar regions, extending the working day and increasing productivity. However, the Znamya 2.5 mission in 1999 failed when the mirror got tangled in an antenna upon deployment. Despite the setback, Syromiatnikov planned to launch a larger mirror, Znamya 3, but funding and opposition from astronomers and ecologists prevented its realization. The failure of Znamya 2.5 marked the end of the ambitious space mirror project. The idea of using space mirrors for illumination and energy production remains a fascinating concept, highlighting the challenges and complexities of groundbreaking scientific endeavors.