Earth Science

NASA faces “difficult choices” for current and future Earth science missions
The co-chair of the most recent Earth science decadal survey warned that NASA faces “difficult choices” between continuing current missions and starting new missions given limited funding.

NASA faces budget crunch for extended Earth science missions
NASA will allow three aging Earth science missions to participate in an upcoming senior review of extended missions even as the agency warns of budget pressures on its overall portfolio of missions.

Independent review warns of cost growth on key Earth science mission
An independent review warned of potential cost overruns on a future major NASA Earth science mission, prompting NASA to consider removing some instruments from it.

NASA cancels GeoCarb greenhouse gas monitoring mission
NASA has canceled a greenhouse gas monitoring mission once intended to fly as a commercial hosted payload after the mission lost its ride to orbit and suffered severe cost overruns.

Canada to contribute satellite and instruments to NASA-led Earth science mission
The Canadian government announced Oct. 18 it will fund development of a satellite and instruments for a NASA-led Earth science program.

Italian satellite may fly NASA Earth science payload
NASA is in talks with the Italian Space Agency to fly an Earth science instrument originally planned to go on a commercial smallsat.

Venus orbiter, lunar constellation and exoplanets telescopes among candidates as China selects new space science missions
The Chinese Academy Sciences is preparing to select a new batch of space missions from proposals to study Earth, the Sun and solar system, and the deeper universe as part of a "New Horizons Program."

NASA drops plans to fly Earth science instrument as commercial hosted payload
An Earth science instrument selected by NASA several years ago to fly as a hosted payload on a commercial communications satellite may instead fly on a standalone spacecraft because of a lack of hosting opportunities.

New NASA chief scientist to focus on climate change
NASA has hired a climate scientist as its new chief scientist, a move that reflects the greater emphasis the agency is placing on climate change studies.

NASA and ESA sign agreement on climate science cooperation
NASA and the European Space Agency have agreed to cooperate on future Earth science missions and related activities in an effort to better understand climate change.