NASA's Orbiting Carbon Observatory may be decommissioned
9 months ago
- #satellite missions
- #NASA
- #climate change
- The Trump administration has requested NASA to plan the termination of two major satellite missions, including one that would be destroyed by burning up in the atmosphere.
- These missions, known as the Orbiting Carbon Observatories (OCO), monitor greenhouse gases and plant growth globally, providing critical data for scientists, farmers, and industries.
- NASA employees have been instructed to create termination plans (Phase F) for these missions, despite their high-quality data and expected operational longevity.
- Congress has funded these missions through FY 2025, but their future funding remains uncertain, with potential privatization being considered.
- Democrats in Congress argue that terminating these missions would be illegal and harmful, as they are essential for climate and weather forecasting.
- The OCO missions have provided unexpected benefits, such as detailed plant growth data, which is valuable for agriculture, drought monitoring, and national security.
- Satellite data from these missions has revolutionized climate science, revealing new insights about carbon dioxide absorption by forests.
- Terminating the missions would be economically unsound, as the annual maintenance cost ($15M) is minimal compared to the initial investment ($750M).
- Privatization of these missions raises concerns about the role of public funding in sustaining critical Earth observation efforts.