Investigation of Sunshades for Local Temperature Mitigation in the Arctic Region

As climate change continues to disproportionately impact the Arctic, innovative solutions are needed to
mitigate its effects. This study explores the potential of using sunshades in specific orbits to provide
local shading and temperature reduction in the Arctic region. Building on previous work on the
International Planetary Sunshade (IPSS) system, various orbital configurations are examined for their
effectiveness in temporarily reducing solar radiation in the Arctic during critical periods.
The analysis utilizes a dedicated toolchain developed for IPSS system analysis, incorporating coverage
analysis and orbit modeling tools. We examine several orbit types, including polar orbits, Molniya orbits,
and sun-synchronous orbits, to determine their effectiveness in providing consistent shading over the
Arctic latitudes.
Results indicate that polar orbits with inclinations around 80° demonstrate particular promise for Arctic
shading. Simulations reveal that a polar orbit with an 80° inclination provided an accumulated coverage
of 36.8% for the Arctic region over a one-week period, with a shading ratio of 1% - the highest among
analyzed orbits. This orbit facilitated 29 overflights, each providing approximately two minutes of
shading.
The study also explores the trade-offs between orbit stability, shading duration, and coverage area.
Lower Earth orbits are found to provide more frequent overflights, while higher orbits such as Molniya
orbits may offer longer individual shading periods, potentially increasing shading efficiency.
Future work will focus on optimizing orbit parameters for maximum shading effectiveness, investigating
constellation designs for continuous coverage, and integrating climate models to assess the potential
impact on Arctic temperatures. This research contributes to the growing field of space-based climate
intervention methods, offering a potential tool for targeted cooling in one of Earth's most vulnerable
regions