In an era where climate change poses a grave threat to our planet’s future, a team of Israeli scientists is pushing the boundaries of possibility with an ambitious plan that reads like a science fiction plot: a giant space sunshade designed to cool the Earth. Led by Professor Yoram Rozen of the Technion’s Asher Space Research Institute, this group of academics and industry experts has proposed a daring solution to lower Earth’s average temperature by 1.5 degrees Celsius by deploying a vast foil sheet into space to deflect some of the sun’s radiation.
As reported, 2023 was marked as the hottest year on record with projections indicating an even hotter future. This has spurred discussions and proposals for extraordinary measures to combat the rising global temperatures and their catastrophic consequences. The Israeli team’s proposal involves constructing a sunshade out of a material akin to those used in survival blankets, and deploying it at a Lagrange point—a position in space where the gravitational forces of the Earth and the Sun balance out.
“”The idea is to send an enormous sunshade, covering an area of 2.5 million square kilometers (965,255 square miles) – roughly the size of Argentina – to a unique point between the Earth and the sun. It will unfurl between the sun and the Earth, blocking a portion of the sun’s radiation and lowering the average temperature here on Earth by 1.5 degrees Celsius within a relatively short period of about a year and a half. Since we will not be able to eliminate greenhouse gas emissions entirely – and even if we do, we will still be left with the current high temperatures – we need to address the problem from the outside,” said Rozen. The sunshade will not produce a noticeable shadow on Earth, yet it will be effective in reducing solar radiation by 2%, which is considered sufficient to achieve the temperature reduction goal.
This concept isn’t entirely new—similar ideas have been proposed over the years by researchers and organizations around the globe. As far back as 1989, there were suggestions for space-based climate intervention. More recently, other models have been put forth, including the use of dust particles or attaching solar shields to asteroids. However, the Israeli team’s plan differs in its structured approach to implementation.
The project’s astronomical cost—an estimated $30 trillion—and the sheer scale of the challenge have not deterred the team. Their strategy is to first send a prototype, classroom-sized sunshade into space at an estimated cost of $15 million, as a proof of concept. Yet, the endeavor is slowed by current financial limitations, with hopes to attract future investment from technology companies and environmental activists.
Skeptics have raised concerns about the feasibility of such an ambitious project, including those from Wichita State University, who’ve calculated that a larger reduction in sunlight might be necessary and that the effects of the shade would only last for up to 60 years.
The geopolitical landscape has not been overlooked in the development of this space sunshade project. A setback occurred on October 7 when a major partner, the National Space Science and Technology Center (NSSTC) from the United Arab Emirates, ceased collaboration. Rozen remains optimistic about the prospect of renewed cooperation.
“The current average temperature on Earth is around 15 degrees Celsius, and it would be preferable to be around 13.5 degrees,” explains Rozen, stressing that this intervention must coexist with the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. Although alternative solutions exist—from absorbing CO2 to painting everything white—they all come with their own challenges and limitations.
Relevant articles:
– Israel’s ambitious plan to stop global warming: A space sunshade, Israel Hayom
– Israeli researchers want to build a space parasol to cool Earth, mitigate global warming, The Jerusalem Post
– Giant Space Sunshade Proposed to Combat Climate Change, DevX
– How a giant space umbrella could stop global warming, BBC