Dimming the Sun (DimSun) using Controllable Swarm of Smallbody Regolith Particles

Global warming due to the rising levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere is an existential threat to humanity. This paper focuses on geoengineering using space-based solar radi- ation management. The DimSun mission concept will reduce solar insolation by 1.2% using a controlled dust cloud, made with small body regolith particles, at Solar Radiation Pressure (SRP)-balanced Sun–Earth Lagrangian L1 point. This will achieve the United Nations’ Paris Agreement target of limiting the temperature increase to 1.5◦C above pre-industrial levels during the 21st century. This will give humanity some time to permanently reduce the global levels of greenhouse gases.In this paper, we present the calculations for the size and location of the dust cloud and the key technologies necessary to enable this mission concept. In the future, once global greenhouse gas levels are permanently reduced, this method can be reversed by deactivating the control spacecraft, causing the dust cloud to disperse away from Earth within 100 days.