at the beginning of this 2020, tomàs saraceno presented ‘fly with aerocene pacha’: a giant balloon able to float in the air without any fossil fuel, using instead exclusively the energy coming from the sun and the wind. inspired by this device and by the animal world, designers gabriele mundula and federica sanchez have created the ‘reflective balloon’, combining architecture and technology to help limit the consequences of the sun radiation and, therefore, preserve a balance between the inevitable changes that affect our planet and the entire biosphere.

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a world map that shows earth’s albedo and the main wind directions – the combination of these two elements allow the balloon to move and float in the air, crossing the entire planet

 

 

the project by gabriele mundula and federica sanchez consists of a balloon surrounded by a rigid and light structure. on top of the latter, a feathering layer serves as reflective surface of the sunrays. with this mechanism, the rays will not fall on earth, but will be sent back to the outer space. with a combination of technologies and innovative materials, such as the ionic wind propulsion and 3D printed kevlar fiber, the balloon constantly drifts on the wind, operating as a moving shielding without using any fuel.

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the air inside is warmer than outside, thanks to the color of the balloon 

 

 

floating between 50 and 200/300 meters, the balloon will be able to reflect as many rays as possible without becoming an obstacle for vehicles. furthermore, thanks to the presence of the ionosphere, the ionic wind propulsion will be facilitated. after some time, the presence of these balloons in the air will make the general albedo increase. this innovative mechanism introduced by the ‘reflective balloon’ could help regulate the effects of sun radiation, such as the glaciers melting, the sea level rise, the desertification process etc. 

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areas with a high albedo percentage (i.e.:deserts, fresh snow) are strongly recommended as ideal launch sites

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the shape of the negative pole increases the output speed of the poles, improving the general thrust

 

 

project info:

name: reflective balloon
designers: gabriele mundula, federica sanchez

 

 

designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

 

edited by: myrto katsikopoulou | designboom