Trump Budget Cuts Threaten Key NASA Climate Missions, Sparking Scientific Outcry

The Trump administration plans to end two NASA climate missions, citing budget cuts. Scientists warn the move jeopardizes vital data on carbon emissions and plant health. While efforts to secure alternative funding are underway, experts stress such decisions should not depend on private donors amid a worsening climate crisis.

The Trump administration has announced plans to terminate two crucial NASA missions that monitor carbon dioxide levels and plant health, citing budget cuts for the 2026 fiscal year. The decision, detailed in a NASA statement, claims the missions have exceeded their primary objectives and are being shut down to align with presidential budget priorities.

The targeted programs include the Orbiting Carbon Observatories—one a satellite launched in 2014 and the other an instrument on the International Space Station since 2019. Both provide unmatched global data on greenhouse gas emissions and plant photosynthesis, essential for understanding climate change and food security.

Experts warn the move is dangerously shortsighted. David Crisp, the former NASA scientist who led the missions’ development, stressed that these tools are still the most accurate in the world. He emphasized their role in key discoveries, such as the Amazon rainforest emitting more CO₂ than it absorbs, and their ability to detect plant "glow" that signals drought and potential famine.

Climate scientists, including Jonathan Overpeck and Michael Mann, condemned the decision as a politically motivated attack on climate research. Mann criticized the administration’s broader strategy, saying, “The principle seems to be that if we stop measuring climate change, it will just disappear from the American consciousness.”

While the House budget bill supports the shutdown, the Senate version maintains funding. With Congress currently in recess and the fiscal deadline approaching, the missions’ future hangs in balance. Lawmakers have warned NASA that terminating the programs without Congressional approval could be illegal.

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Efforts are now underway to secure international or private funding to save the instruments, but legal and logistical challenges remain. Scientists argue that relying on philanthropy for vital climate data is an irresponsible gamble with global consequences.