Trump administration removes ocean and air pollution monitoring capabilities from forthcoming weather satellite installations
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has announced a reduction in the number of next-generation weather and climate satellites it plans to build and launch. This decision comes as the hurricane season ramps up, and could potentially impact critical data collection and forecasting.
The Geostationary Extended Observations (GeoXO) series, set to be the successor to the GOES satellites, was initially planned to consist of six satellites, with the first launch scheduled for 2032 and service lasting through 2055. However, due to cost-cutting measures, NOAA is now only building four satellites as part of the constellation.
Two planned instruments, one for measuring air quality and another for observing ocean conditions, are no longer part of the project. The atmospheric composition instrument, designed to more precisely measure air pollutants, would have enabled scientists to reduce health risks from wildfire smoke events and enhanced US capabilities for air quality monitoring and forecasting. Its cancellation could potentially result in the US falling behind other countries' air quality monitoring capabilities.
The cheaper cost would come at a potential cost to those who would have benefited from the air and oceans data. The atmospheric composition instrument, for instance, would have provided insights into greenhouse gas emissions and smog pollutants, and could have led to better enforcement and regulations on air pollution.
The cheaper cost of the four satellites also means having fewer satellites in the sky, which raises the risk of critical data outages. With less redundancy, the loss of any single satellite could lead to significant gaps in data collection.
The two jettisoned satellite instruments could have also provided valuable insights into fisheries populations, algal blooms, ocean productivity, and water quality. The instrument that measured ocean color, for example, would have provided valuable data for understanding and monitoring these factors.
The cancellations could result in charges from BAE Systems, the contractor for the instruments. The companies that would have developed and built the canceled instruments for the Geostationary Extended Observations include Ball Aerospace and L3Harris Technologies.
It's worth noting that the Trump administration's fiscal year 2026 budget request proposes closing NOAA's extensive research facilities and shutting down its greenhouse gas monitoring network. Congress is currently considering this proposal, which could further impact NOAA's ability to collect and analyze critical data.
Despite these cuts, the atmospheric composition instrument was deemed beneficial for both NOAA's weather and climate missions, as per an assessment by NOAA and the Commerce Department. Its removal from the GeoXO series raises questions about the future of US air quality monitoring and the potential consequences for human health and natural and engineered ecosystems.
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