SWORD
Project Overview
University
Year
About
Even with rapid emissions reductions and carbon removal, climate inertia could temporarily push global temperatures beyond critical thresholds. SWORD proposes a swarm of lightweight reflective elements positioned between the Sun and Earth to redirect a small proportion of incoming sunlight. The pressure of sunlight itself would control the swarm, allowing shading to be adjusted by season or region without ongoing fuel use. Climate modelling examines effectiveness, regional impacts, interruption and reversibility. The research could determine whether a carefully governed space-based sunshade might temporarily reduce peak warming while decarbonisation continues.
Team
Catello Leonardo Matonti
Catello Leonardo Matonti graduated with honors in Aerospace Engineering (2019) and Space and Astronautical Engineering (2021) from Sapienza University of Rome, where he completed the School for Advanced Studies diploma in 2022 and qualified as an engineer. He is a Ph.D. candidate at Politecnico di Torino, working on astrodynamics and space-based solar geoengineering. He has authored over 16 contributions, including a patent, and gained experience at ISAE-SUPAERO, INAF, Capgemini Engineering, CERN, DMI, and TUM. A TEDx speaker, recipient of Premio Italia Giovane, and member of IAA and IAF committees, since 2025 he has been co-founder and CTO of ASTRO S.r.l.
Marina Coco
Marina Coco is a PhD candidate in Aerospace Engineering at Politecnico di Torino, Italy. Her doctoral research investigates aerospace-engineering systems and methods for climate mitigation actions, with a focus on the Planetary Sunshade System, a space-based concept aimed at reducing incoming solar radiation reaching Earth. She holds a master’s degree in Aerospace Engineering, with a specialization in Space, and a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering with a focus on Aeronautics.