US team investigates Moon dust moonshot

Led by the University of Utah, the study applied a technique used to study planet formation around distant stars, the usual research focus of those involved. It analysed different properties of dust particles, quantities of dust and the orbits that would be best suited for shading Earth. Exploring various different alternatives, the research team found that launching lunar dust from the Moon would be one of the most effective options to achieve the goal. The work is published in PLOS Climate.

“It is amazing to contemplate how Moon dust—which took over four billion years to generate—might help slow the rise in Earth’s temperature, a problem that took us less than 300 years to produce,” said co-author Scott Kenyon, from the Harvard–Smithsonian Centre for Astrophysics.

In computer simulations, test particles were fired along the L1 Lagrange Point orbit. When launched precisely, the dust would follow a path between Earth and the Sun, effectively creating shade, albeit temporarily. Having little mass, the dust was easily blown off course by solar winds, radiation and gravity. Any L1 sunshield platform would need to create an endless supply of new dust batches to blast into orbit every few days after the initial spray dissipates.