Scientists want to test a solar umbrella that could help fight climate change

Scientists have long looked for ways to turn the tide in our fight against climate change. So far, no matter what ideas they come up with, none have been solidified as actual missions with concrete goal. But that could change soon, as researchers plan to test a solar umbrella as a way to cut down on how much heat reaches our planet from the sun.

Researchers shared their plan to put together a mission to test a tiny sunshade at what is known as the L1 Lagrange Point — a location between Earth and the Sun where the gravitational pull of both is almost nullified. However, this tiny sunshade will only be a precursor to a much larger mission down the line.

Before deploying a large, full-scale system, the researchers say they need to see if a solar umbrella will even work in the first place. For the test, the scientists plan to use a 12U CubeSat roughly the size of a large briefcase. It will be equipped with a 144 meter solar sail, which should help demonstrate how effective these systems can be for propulsion long-term.

The idea of using space sails to propel spacecraft forward isn’t new, but this will be one of the first true tests that will help us determine if it can actually work. Once in place, the researchers say the constant flood of sunlight on the sunshade will help ensure the spacecraft stays in the right position, casting a shade over our planet.

The hope is that by limiting how much direct sunlight hits the planet, we’ll be able to cut down on how much heat gets trapped in our atmosphere. Whether or not the solar umbrella actually helps with that remains to be seen. But it’s still an exciting idea to see put into action.

At an estimated cost of $10 million, making sure the system can take care of itself will be paramount, as spacecraft rely on autonomous tech for control. It would take 10 seconds for manual commands to even reach the spacecraft, let alone put them to work.

Hopefully the mission is successful, and researchers are able to scale the process up. But just how effective this solar umbrella turns out to be will ultimately take time and possibly more missions to pull off. For now, the researchers have published details about their plans in Acta Astronautica.