NASA cancels climate change satellite to monitor greenhouse gases

In the case of NASA's Geo Carb mission, some good things need to end before they really start.

NASA and the University of Oklahoma had collaborated on a satellite that was supposed to monitor greenhouse gas emissions in the atmosphere. The levels of carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide and methane in the atmosphere would be measured by GeoCarb. NASA chose the mission in 2016

Thomas Zurbuchen, NASA's associate administrator for science, said in a statement that NASA is dedicated to making careful choices with the resources provided by the people of the United States. We will be able to accomplish our commitment to state-of-the-art climate observation in a more efficient and cost effective way.

Climate change can be seen from space.

There were technical concerns, cost performance and availability of new alternative data sources that led to the decision to end Geo Carb. The mission's original estimate was $170.9 million, but the most recent estimate was $600 million.

The new Earth Surface Mineral Dust Source Investigation (EMIT) instrument that arrived at the International Space Station in July is one of the new data sources.

The Earth System Observatory is a series of Earth-focused satellites that will be launched by the year 2030. Aerosols, clouds, surface biology and geology will be studied by the satellites.

Greenhouse gasses play a central role in NASA's understanding of how our home planet is changing. We will make key methane and carbon dioxide observations, integrate them with other national, international and private sector missions, and make actionable information available to communities and organizations who need it to inform their decisions.

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