Overview
- Musk said on X that a large solar-powered, AI-controlled satellite fleet could prevent global warming by making tiny adjustments to incoming sunlight.
- The idea echoes space-based solar radiation management concepts such as orbital sunshades modeled to offset about 1–2°C but requiring thousands of satellites.
- Scientists and analysts describe the approach as unrealistic in the near term due to extreme technical complexity, potential regional climate impacts, and unresolved governance.
- Reported cost estimates range from more than $100 billion to multi-trillion-dollar levels, with no clear funding mechanism or implementation pathway.
- SpaceX has announced no SRM program, current Starlink hardware is unsuitable for such use, and Musk’s remarks may draw attention to startups that remain far from large-scale deployment.