The idea itself isn’t new, but the CEO of SpaceX weighing in on it is. Musk shared his thoughts on X on Monday morning, posting that “A large solar-powered AI satellite constellation would be able to prevent global warming by making tiny adjustments in how much solar energy reached Earth.”
What exactly prompted Musk to share his thoughts on the subject is unknown. A number of companies are already exploring solar radiation management (SRM), which is currently mostly theoretical. The idea is that humans would be able to control the amount of sunlight reaching the Earth in order to counteract the harmful effects of climate change.
Anyone who has read Project Hail Mary can tell you just how important it is to make sure we don’t dim the sun too much. When asked on X how his hypothetical SRM technology would ensure for precise, equitable adjustments (seasonal adjustments, etc.), Musk responded, “It would only take tiny adjustments to prevent global warming or global cooling for that matter.”
