[yourNEWS.com] A controversial Israeli-American startup named Stardust is drawing international scrutiny for developing a secretive form of solar geoengineering technology aimed at cooling the planet, according to a Wired.com report. The company, founded in 2023 and incorporated in the U.S., intends to patent aerosol-based climate intervention systems that experts warn could disrupt weather patterns and violate global environmental agreements.
Stardust’s stated mission is to block sunlight from reaching Earth by releasing engineered aerosol particles into the stratosphere via aircraft-mounted devices. The startup is reportedly moving forward with particle development, prototype aircraft mounts, and atmospheric monitoring systems, and it plans to begin real-world testing in the stratosphere within the next year—despite widespread calls for caution and oversight.
Unlike traditional scientific endeavors led by universities or federal agencies, Stardust relies on private investment and aims to commercialize its proprietary geoengineering technology for sale to national governments. Critics say this approach bypasses both scientific transparency and public accountability. Wired notes that if Stardust’s system is deployed, “it will affect the whole world.”
“This is a deliberate transformation of the atmosphere that has never been done,” the company said, while withholding key technical and operational details. Stardust’s CEO and cofounder, Yanai Yedvab, is a former deputy chief scientist at the Israel Atomic Energy Commission, which oversees the nation’s covert nuclear program. Its chief product officer, Amyad Spector, is a physicist with prior experience in Israeli nuclear research. The team reportedly includes 25 physicists, chemists, and engineers.
Despite the potential global impact of its work, the company has not published research data or consulted the public. Janos Pasztor, a former climate governance consultant for Stardust, issued a report urging the company to improve its transparency and public engagement. “They don’t have a social license for geoengineering,” Pasztor said, warning of the absence of any public or peer review of the company’s goals.
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