NASA has been working to better understand our home planet from the unique vantage point of space since the first TIROS satellites launched in the 1960s. Today, with more than two dozen Earth-observing satellites and instruments, it’s clearer than ever that our planet is an interconnected system. Local events can have global impacts and global events impact local communities. Recognizing that the challenges of today and tomorrow require an agencywide effort, NASA’s Office of the Chief Scientist established a cross-agency working group and released “Advancing NASA’s Climate Strategy.”
“The last nine years have been the hottest ever recorded. That is simply an indisputable fact, underscoring the need for bold action to protect our planet,” said Administrator Bill Nelson. “NASA’s climate strategy is a declaration of our continued commitment to lead on climate – and how we intend to do so.”
The strategy
assesses NASA’s climate portfolio across the agency for the first time,
extending beyond science and exploration efforts to include every mission directorate
and NASA facility.
“The climate and Earth system are
changing, and this impacts not only what science we need, but also how we think
about our operations and mission safety,” said Kate Calvin, NASA’s chief
scientist and senior climate advisor. “This strategy will help NASA integrate
our understanding of climate across the agency and in our partnerships to
better serve the public.”
The strategy lays out four key priorities
for the agency to aide with the integration of climate across NASA: innovate,
inform, inspire, and partner. The first priority of innovation relies on
continuing NASA’s 60+ years of Earth science studied not only from space – but
also through airborne research, direct measurements and field
campaigns. With new missions coming online in 2023 to observe air
pollution (TEMPO), Earth’s water to help improve climate
models (SWOT),
and the increasing intensity of storms (TROPICS), NASA-powered observations of our planet are at the
core of how we study the effects of climate change.
NASA’s innovation efforts also extend to
aeronautics engineering, as NASA seeks to advance the development of greener
aerospace technology. Such advances in science and engineering can also lay a
foundation for future innovation as NASA technologies and know-how are shared
with the world, including agency collaborations to develop remote
sensing technology,
combat wildfires, and develop space power
systems that could
advance power alternatives on Earth. Finally, we are working to ensure the
sustainability of NASA centers and facilities, including reducing agency
greenhouse gas emissions and increasing resiliency to climate variability and
change.
The strategy also lays out our commitment
to inform the public and decision-makers around the world. NASA is focused on
improving the accessibility and usability of climate and Earth science
information. From seaside towns who wish to know more about their changing
coastlines, to those in wildfire-vulnerable areas, to city-dwellers looking to
track smog in their neighborhoods, communities around the world can benefit
from NASA’s observations and models to help plan for the future. Providing
resources that draw on NASA observations and models can help support everyone
in preparing for and responding to climate change.
More than just providing information, one
of NASA’s goals is always to inspire and to educate. As we make our
observations about Earth accessible to the world, we are also seeking to
encourage and train the next generation of climate researchers.
Finally, the strategy discusses the key
role that partnering across agencies, institutions, and industries plays in
understanding and responding to climate change. NASA will continue and enhance
coordination and partnerships with other federal agencies, international
entities, and state, local, and tribal governments to deliver actionable
climate information to stakeholders – and ensure the broadest applicability of
NASA climate information and technologies.
“NASA’s decades-long and vast array of Earth, atmospheric, and solar data have long been one of the foundations of how we understand climate and the Earth system,” said Karen St. Germain, director of NASA’s Earth Science Division. “By studying Earth as a system – from a variety of viewpoints and through many different instruments and scientific fields – NASA’s integrated approach is key for better understanding our home planet. And understanding it gives us the means to better protect it.”
A PDF version of the full “Advancing NASA’s Climate Strategy” document is available here.
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