Transparent occulters: A nearly zero-radiation pressure sunshade to support climate change mitigation

[ayesha iqbal]

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0094576522006762

Authors

Olivia Borgue, Andreas M.Hein

10 December 2022

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actaastro.2022.12.006

Abstract

Limiting climate change to within the 2 °C limit requires net zero emissions of CO2 by 2050. However, the window of opportunity is closing fast. Geoengineering as the intentional and large-scale manipulation of the environment and the climate is increasingly discussed as a complement to ongoing mitigation efforts. As a particular geoengineering approach, space-based geoengineering proposes blocking or dissipating a fraction of incoming sunlight via a large number of occulting membranes, located close to the Lagrange 1 point between the Sun and the Earth. However, the mass of these sunshades, around 107–108 tons, and their deployment cost and effort render them about 10³ times more costly than terrestrial geoengineering alternatives.

In this article, affordable sunshades, to be positioned close to L1 of the Earth-Sun system, are proposed, which are between 102 to 10³ times lighter than the lightest existing sunshade concepts. This is achieved via a nearly zero-radiation pressure design based on transparent refractive surfaces manufactured with ultra-thin polymeric films and SiO2 nanotubes. The lightest sunshade proposed in this article has a total mass of approximately 5.5 × 105 tons and its deployment requires between 859 and 399 annual launches during a ten year period.

Source: ScienceDirect 

[ayesha iqbal]

Poster's note: Reviewer 2 does geoengineering covered the paper "Transparent occulters: A nearly zero-radiation pressure sunshade to support climate change mitigation" on their podcast.

Title of Podcast: Zero pressure space sunshades - Hein | Reviewer 2 does geoengineering   24/02/2023 
Some links to listen to the podcast: 

https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy8zMjkzZDIzMC9wb2RjYXN0L3Jzcw/episode/MDIyNjJiMDgtNjU0Ni00NzNjLWI0ZmQtNzBkYTU3MzllYWI4?ep=14

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/zero-pressure-space-sunshades-hein/id1529459393?i=1000601498629

https://open.spotify.com/show/2KSB1lU18qh5gYIRDYPJMb

Description:

Andreas Hein entertains @geoengineering1 with more barmy space-based geoengineering nonsense. Expect moon dust, rail guns, space junk, cube sats and all sorts of other semi-relevant distractions. Paper: Transparent occulters: A nearly zero-radiation pressure sunshade to support climate change mitigation
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actaastro.2022.12.006