It sounds like the stuff of science fiction but some experts think it may be the answer to saving Earth from climate catastrophe. Scientists in the US say dust launched from the moon could be a good way of blocking sunlight and alleviating global warming. According to their new study, moon dust would intercept a proportion of sunlight before it reaches our planet, acting as a'temporary sunshade'. Once the dust dissipates and floats away after a few days, more would be launched from the moon, allowing constant relief from the sun's light and heat. How exactly the dust would be launched from the moon is yet to be determined – although it could potentially be flung up using some kind of catapult.

A new startup run by a former acting NASA administrator hopes to capitalize on the recent zeal for lunar space exploration by building robotic outposts and spacecraft to send to space near the Moon. Their goal is to create a fleet of robotic helpers that can do a variety of tasks near the Moon, such as providing internet capabilities, collecting data, refueling spacecraft, and assembling structures in lunar space. The company called Quantum Space was formed in 2021. At the helm is Steve Jurczyk, who served as NASA's associate administrator beginning in 2018, before becoming the agency's acting administrator when President Biden was inaugurated. After retiring in May, Jurczyk decided to team up with three additional entrepreneurs and experts in the space industry to create this new company based out of Maryland.