The government of the president of the United States, Donald Trump, proposed to halve NASA’s budget. From the plans presented last week, the space agency will have to end missions before the deadline and give up others under development.
Particularly affected are Earth’s observation missions, such as Landsat’s satellites, widely used in Brazil to monitor deforestation. These satellites are developed in partnership with the US Geological Service and the continuity of their series will not have enough resources.
Also without expected resources are satellites that monitor the time and climate of the planet, including those kept in partnership with the Ocean and Atmosphere Agency (NOAA). All of these missions may not have resources to ensure their continuity.
The cut still needs to be approved by Congress. But even if it is not accepted in full, it will cost the US the loss of American protagonism in space, scientists told the American magazine Science. The budget of US $ 3.9 billion proposed by the Trump administration is not enough to end missions within the originally expected period.
Mira in climate change
The Trump government plan, according to Scienceis to have a “leaner” agency, with the aim of bringing “the first human, an American, the Mars”. For this, approved the cut, 40 missions classified as “low priority” will end.
Satellites that monitor the climate and land use are on the low priority list. Remote sensing specialist Anne Nolin of Nevada University told Science that there will be significant loss in the US’s ability to study climate change and make a meteorological forecast. But even other areas, such as prospecting for strategic minerals, should be affected.
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NASA Alan Stern director has classified the proposal as a tragic error that will cost billions of dollars of damage to the US.
In the list of cuts are the satellites Aqua, Aura and Earth, which two decades ago contribute to the study of climate change. Aqua and Earth, at the end of their lifetime, will not be replaced and aura, which could operate until the end of the decade, will have their end in advance.
Two other active missions that study CO2 concentration in the atmosphere will be eliminated if Congress approves the cuts. There are two instruments installed at the International Space Station: carbon observatories in orbit (OCOS) II and III. Both are essential for understanding the impact of Human CO2 emissions.
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Another instrument installed in the station that will be deactivated is Sage III, which measures ozone, water vapor and other atmospheric gases. In the list are also the instruments dedicated to Earth aboard the Deep Space Climate Observatory satellite, which monitors the space climate.
Cuts include missions on Jupiter, such as Juno, and the New Horizons probe that is in the ends of the land system. Two missions planned for Venus called Davinci and Veritas were also dynamic. Neither Mars escaped. If it depends on Trump, the robotic ships Mars Odyssey and Maven will be turned off.
The proposal of drastic NASA budget reduction eliminates most of the planned missions for the coming years. Among them is the atmosphere satellites fleet Observing System (AS), whose mission would be to investigate how pollution affects the formation of clouds and storms.
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Another that Trump wants to see buried is the Surface Biology and Geology (SBG) mission. It is a satellite equipped with a spectrometer capable of dividing the light reflected into more than 400 channels of wavelength. With it it is possible to measure CO2 and methane and thus map forests, agricultural areas and mineral deposits.
Science pointed out that the cuts are an immediate challenge for Trump’s nominee as NASA administrator, Jared Isaacman, whose confirmation vote may occur next week in the Senate.
Isaacman told parliamentarians that a 50% cut in NASA’s scientific budget “is not ideal,” and promised to “defend solid investments in space science.”
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Alan Stern said the scientific community is mobilized to convince Congress to veto the cuts. “I’m ready for this battle. And I know I’m in good company,” he said in an interview with Science.
