Solar Radiative Redistribution System: A Dual-Season Orbital Concept for Regional Thermal-Load Management

This Concept Paper introduces the Solar Radiative Redistribution System (SRRS), a dual-season orbital concept for regional thermal-load management. Rather than treating solar radiation only as something to be blocked, the proposed system considers it as a resource that may be seasonally managed. During hot summer conditions, a fraction of incoming solar radiation would be prevented from reaching selected regions in order to reduce thermal and cooling loads. During cold winter conditions, a fraction of available solar radiation would instead be redirected toward selected cold regions to reduce heating demand. The same orbital assets would therefore perform complementary seasonal functions according to local thermal need. Order-of-magnitude estimates are presented for metropolitan and state scales. For a metropolitan region comparable in size to the Chicago area, the analysis indicates that the required optical area would be large, ranging from approximately 70–150 km² under ideal continuous coverage to several hundred or a few thousand square kilometres when realistic orbital and optical losses are considered. Under the stated assumptions, the combined summer-shading and winter-redirection energy balance can produce a positive annual thermal-energy benefit. The work is presented as a preliminary concept and order-of-magnitude feasibility assessment, not as a completed engineering design or climate-model simulation. Orbital architecture, control strategies, environmental effects, astronomical impacts, light pollution, ecosystems, and governance remain open questions for future investigation.