Kathmandu. Elon Musk, the world’s richest man, has recently proposed a concept of space-based solar geoengineering. It aims to put thousands of AI-controlled reflective satellites in space to slightly reduce the Earth’s sun’s heat and reduce rising temperatures.
Musk’s proposal: AI satellite ‘swarm’{
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Musk’s plan is to build a large network of ultra-thin and mirror-like satellites in space.
Location: These satellites will be placed at the L1 Lagrange point, between the Earth and the Sun.
AI controls: AI will orient these satellites by monitoring weather, regional heat waves and climate change conditions in real time so that some of the solar energy coming back to Earth can be sent back.
{{TAG_OPEN_strong_36}Scientific basis and probability
According to scientific models, if the sun’s heat on the earth could be reduced by just 1.7 percent, then most of the heat due to carbon emissions could be balanced.
Scalability: Musk’s company SpaceX has the ability to launch thousands of satellites like Starlink, so this plan doesn’t seem technically impossible. But creating a shadow covering millions of square kilometers would be a huge mega-project.
Serious risks and ethical questions
The risks and geopolitical challenges outweigh the benefits of this technology.
Termination Shock: If the system suddenly shuts down due to a war or accident, there is a risk that the Earth will heat up even faster.
Regional Disparities: Even if global temperatures decrease, they can have different effects on monsoons, rainfall cycles, and agricultural production by region. When one country benefits, famine may occur in another.
Power and Control: It is extremely dangerous for a billionaire or a limited number of powerful countries to decide how much to increase or decrease the Earth’s sun.
Many scientists see this as a “last resort”. The main concern is that the talk of such a ‘total gadget’ could divert people’s attention away from fossil fuel cuts and the actual energy transition. While it may sound like a Netflix sci-fi film, the climate politics it ensues may be even more complicated.
