The GOP could finally succeed in a relentless quest to kill two climatic satellites of NASA
Before satellite measures, the researchers relied on estimates and data from a handful of air and soil sensors. An instrument on Mauna Loa, Hawaii, with the longest record of direct carbon dioxide measures, is also planned for the closure of Trump’s budget.
It requires a supported and consistent data set to recognize trends. This is why, for example, the American government has funded a series of Landsat satellites since 1972 to create an uninterrupted data catalog illustrating changes in the world use of land.
But NASA is now ready to close OCO-2 and OCO-3 instead of thinking about how to replace them when they inevitably stop work. The missions now work beyond their original design life, but scientists say that the two instruments are in good health.
Can anyone replace NASA?
Research institutes in Japan, China and Europe have launched their own greenhouse gas surveillance satellites. Until now, not all have the spatial resolution of OCO instruments, which means that they cannot identify issues of emission with the same precision as American missions. A new European mission called CO2M will be closest to reproduce OCO-2 and OCO-3, but it will not be launched until 2027.
Several private groups have launched their own satellites to measure atmospheric chemicals, but they mainly focused on detecting localized methane emissions for regulatory purposes, not on global trends.
One of the new groups in this sector, known as Carbon Mapper Coalition, launched its first little satellite last year. This non -profit consortium includes JPL contributors, the same laboratory that caused OCO instruments, as well as Planet Labs, California Air Resources Board, universities and private investment funds.
The leaders of the Government of the county of Montgomery, Maryland, set the objective of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 80% by 2027, and 100% by 2035. Mark Elrich, the executive of the Democratic county, said that the dismissal awaiting NASA carbon surveillance missions “weaken our ability to hold responsible polluters”.
“This decision … would eliminate the years of research that help us understand greenhouse gas emissions, plant health and forces that stimulate climate change,” said Elrich at a press conference last month.
