A LEO-Based Solar-Shade System to Mitigate Global Warming

TL;DR

This paper proposes a Low-Earth-Orbit solar-shade system using space-elevator technology to mitigate global warming, reduce polar temperatures, and address space debris issues through a novel, cost-effective approach.

Contribution

It introduces a new LEO-based solar-shade system design with a space-elevator, analyzing its potential to reduce global and polar temperatures and its environmental benefits.

Findings

A near-polar shade ring could reduce polar summer temperatures by nearly 3K.

The proposed system could block about 1% of insolation over 4% of Earth's surface.

Tilting the shades can optimize temperature reduction in specific regions.

Abstract

The development of a Low-Earth-Orbit (LEO) based solar-shade system, as part of a technically- and financially-viable multipurpose system to provide long-term solutions to global warming and the energy crisis is discussed. The proposed solar-shade and power system would be enabled by the development of a previously-proposed less-expensive, environment-friendly, space-elevator system to lift mass into space. The solar shades, even during their early deployment and growth in LEO, would provide benefits such as reduction of space-debris and depletion of the Van Allen radiation belts.The Terrestrial temperature profile has been approximated for each latitudinal zone with a one-dimensional model. A shade ring at an altitude of 2000-4000 km, consisting of thin-film mega panels totaling up to 4% of the earths surface area (to block ~1% of insolation), is proposed. The effects of such near-polar rings on the global temperature pattern has been examined using the simple model. Specific emphasis has been laid on this effect in the Polar Regions. One such proposed ring could reduce the peak summer temperature of the Polar Regions (80-90 degree latitude) by almost 3K. The tilting of the solar-shades, to reduce their cooling effect at the poles and to increase it in the near-polar regions, is recommended.