I am not aware of a heliostat designed for mirrors, but the problem sounds like it’s shaped similarly to the problems addressed by solar tracker systems for solar panels. I wonder if a system like that could be repurposed for your needs?
I’d be nervous about wind loads and breakage filling our own front garden with shards
I second the intuition against putting something up in the air that might shatter.
Would a driveway mirror work? I believe that they’re commonly made of shatter-resistant materials—shiny metal, or appropriate plastics.
Would a mylar-faced tarp work for prototyping? It might be ugly and it might be loud in the wind, but “space tarps” sold for survival situations are highly reflective on one side and relatively sturdy. A flexible reflector could be hoisted in good weather and furled in bad with the same basic technologies that have moved sailing ships around the world for centuries. Space blankets are too flimsy to hold up well on their own and would probably require additional support to not tear… although many types of space blanket can be ironed onto a sturdy fabric like a canvas drop cloth if you experiment a bit to find the right setting on your clothes iron.
Would a chromed metal panel, or even bright white metal roofing, work as a mirror without the shatter risk?
I am not aware of a heliostat designed for mirrors, but the problem sounds like it’s shaped similarly to the problems addressed by solar tracker systems for solar panels. I wonder if a system like that could be repurposed for your needs?
I second the intuition against putting something up in the air that might shatter.
Would a driveway mirror work? I believe that they’re commonly made of shatter-resistant materials—shiny metal, or appropriate plastics.
Would a mylar-faced tarp work for prototyping? It might be ugly and it might be loud in the wind, but “space tarps” sold for survival situations are highly reflective on one side and relatively sturdy. A flexible reflector could be hoisted in good weather and furled in bad with the same basic technologies that have moved sailing ships around the world for centuries. Space blankets are too flimsy to hold up well on their own and would probably require additional support to not tear… although many types of space blanket can be ironed onto a sturdy fabric like a canvas drop cloth if you experiment a bit to find the right setting on your clothes iron.
Would a chromed metal panel, or even bright white metal roofing, work as a mirror without the shatter risk?
Over on Mastodon I got the recommendation to use acrylic mirrors, which sound like a good fit.