Ending NASA Carbon-Tracking Satellites Under Trump Could Weaken Disaster Forecasts and Hurt Frontline Communities

The Trump administration has directed NASA to draft termination plans for two crucial satellite missions—Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2 and its counterpart aboard the International Space Station—that monitor carbon dioxide levels and plant growth globally. These missions, uniquely designed for tracking greenhouse gases, provide essential data not just for scientists, but also for farmers, energy companies, and government agencies. “The data are of exceptionally high quality,” a 2023 NASA review noted, recommending continuation of the program for at least three more years. Yet internal NASA communications, corroborated by current and former staff, confirm that mission teams have been instructed to prepare for shutdown, despite ongoing congressional funding through fiscal year 2025.

David Crisp, the NASA scientist who designed the instruments, revealed that former colleagues asked him technical questions suggesting they were “told to come up with a termination plan.” Other researchers confirmed receiving similar queries. While the official rationale remains unclear, the action aligns with Trump’s broader climate policy stance. Russ Vought, former OMB director and Project 2025 architect, previously called for dismantling what he described as “climate fanaticism” and promoted easing regulations on commercial satellite launches.

Congressional Democrats are pushing back. “Congress has the power of the purse, not Trump or Vought,” Rep. Zoe Lofgren said, calling the move “catastrophic” for climate science and illegal, given that Congress already appropriated funding. The satellites don’t just monitor carbon; they’ve proven invaluable for tracking photosynthesis and crop yields, aiding USDA forecasts and global food security models. “It’s useful to farmers, useful to rangeland and grazing and drought monitoring,” explained Scott Denning, a retired climate scientist.

If terminated, the stand-alone satellite would burn up in Earth’s atmosphere, permanently ending the mission. This could disproportionately harm Black and Brown communities, who are already more vulnerable to climate change impacts like extreme heat, food insecurity, and environmental pollution. These communities often live in frontline areas with the most to gain from early-warning systems and precise environmental data. Losing this satellite data “severely impairs our ability to forecast, manage, and respond to severe weather and climate disasters,” Lofgren warned.

With only $15 million in annual maintenance costs compared to $750 million in development, Crisp argued, “it makes no economic sense” to end these missions now.

Link: NPR