If we created a mirror, blasted it off into space and then beamed information at it...?

Question

If we created a large mirror, blasted it off FAR into space, then beamed information at it (perhaps via light pulses?) would the data be retrievable in the future? Alternatively, could we reflect the data off a planet in case we could not create a mirror large enough? This works the same way that looking at stars at a distance is 'seeing them millions of years in the past.'

Could we get a digital satellite's video feed, convert it to light pulses, beam it at the mirror, have it beam back to us and then ten, hundreds, or thousands of years into the future 'watch' what was happening in the relative past?

Peter K- What's stopping us from creating a mirror that travels indefinitely by some mechanism or another? I hear 'light sails' are being developed that harness energy from the sun from some way or another (I don't think it has anything to do with solar panels). Thus, thirty years isn't that long- not to mention technology now would probably lead to faster space vehicles. In any case, is this feasibly possible within the next two hundred years?

Answer 1

well, i don't think we have the firepower or precise aiming to do that. the mirror would HAVE TO BE POINTED PERFECTLY at earth. so, it's extremly unlikely. good thinking though.

plz make mine the best answer

Answer 2

You have a few basic problems with that. Getting light to travel that far and aiming it precisely. And getting the mirror in position in the first place.

It took Pioneer 10 about 30 years to get to a location where there would be a 24 hour round trip of light. To get to thousands of years into the future you would need to travel for millions of years to get there.

--/additional/--

You can't move objects faster than the speed of light. It would take at least a million years to get a million years of delay. In practise it would take very much longer.

Light sails only work in our solar system. Once you get beyond Pluto you hit a shock wave and the solar wind is swept away.

If you had a beam of light that was narrowly focused like a laser beam, it would never get to the space craft. The slightest misalignment would make it miss the target. Also the light bouncing back would not reach us. Why? Because the Earth is moving around the sun AND the sun is spinning around the galaxy. The Earth would be long gone by the time the light gets back here.

We have immense problems getting data to and from the edge of the solar system. Getting it any further is pretty much impossible.

Answer 3

Yes, this is quite possible. There are special mirrors made of three planar mirrors at right angles that will reflect light 180 degrees no matter what the angle of incidence is.