Ephemeral and poetic, shooting stars are among the world’s most beautiful natural wonders.

But come 2018, these fleeting fireballs will no longer be left to chance.

Japanese space start-up ALE is developing the technology to deliver on-demand man-made meteors, which could turn the night sky into a blank canvas.

“Imagine a future, where you can use our meteors for international fireworks displays, a proposal for marriage, or a special memorial,” says Shinsuke Abe, ALE’s research director and Nihon University aerospace engineering professor.

Read the full story on CNN.