Scientists are considering a fascinating and ambitious plan to capture an asteroid and use it as a tool to combat climate change. The concept involves attaching a massive umbrella made of graphene, a strong and lightweight material, to the asteroid to create a “solar shield” that would block the sun’s energy and help cool down the Earth.
The idea was proposed by István Szapudi, an astronomer at the University of Hawaiʻi, who describes the shield as a gigantic version of an umbrella that people use to block sunlight. In a new paper published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Szapudi explores the feasibility of his far-fetched concept.
Previous studies have suggested similar ideas, including using moon dust or man-made physical shields to block sunlight. However, none of these studies addressed the practical challenges of launching and maintaining such a shield in space.
To overcome these challenges, Szapudi proposes tethering the shield to an asteroid and stationing it at the ‘L1’ Lagrange point, a stable position between the Earth and the sun. By attaching the shield to an asteroid, it would have sufficient weight to stay in place, while also reducing the total mass that needs to be launched from Earth.
According to Szapudi, the shield and counterweight combined would weigh approximately 3.5 million tons, making it 100 times lighter than previous estimates for an untethered shield. Only 1% of this weight, or about 35,000 tons, would need to be launched from Earth, with the remaining 99% being the asteroid itself.
While there are concerns about the shield crashing back to Earth, Szapudi emphasizes the importance of multiple tethers to ensure its stability. If one or two tethers break, the shield would automatically turn away from solar radiation and the counterweight would safely pull it towards the sun. In the worst-case scenario, the structure would be lost, but the threat to Earth would be minimal.
The shield would be constructed using graphene, which is becoming more affordable. With the potential for graphene prices to reach $1 per square meter within a decade, building the shield could become a reality in the near future.
Szapudi emphasizes the urgency of addressing climate change, describing it as a “looming threat” to humanity. He believes that sustained research and development should begin immediately to create an engineering solution that can serve as an insurance policy if other mitigation efforts fail.
In a separate study conducted by experts from Cornell University, it was found that over 99.9% of climate change papers published from 2012 to 2020 agree that human activity is the main cause of global warming. This further highlights the need for innovative solutions such as the solar shield concept proposed by Szapudi.
In conclusion, the idea of capturing an asteroid and using it as a solar shield to combat climate change is an ambitious yet intriguing proposal put forth by scientist István Szapudi. With further research and development, this concept could potentially offer a viable solution to mitigate the effects of global warming.
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