Overview
- On November 3, Elon Musk wrote on X that a large solar‑powered AI satellite constellation could prevent global warming by making tiny adjustments to the sunlight reaching Earth.
- The proposal aligns with space‑based solar radiation management concepts that envision orbital mirrors or reflectors to bounce a portion of solar energy back into space.
- Scientists and advocates warn the approach is technically daunting, carries risks of disrupting regional climate and ecosystems, and could require costs estimated in the multi‑trillion‑dollar range.
- Coverage notes SpaceX’s extensive Starlink operations and launch capacity, but current Starlink hardware cannot serve this purpose and no SRM effort has been disclosed by the company.
- Critics highlight unresolved governance and ethics questions over control, equity of impacts, and warnings that once deployed such systems could be hard to pause without dangerous temperature spikes.