Thriving on Our Changing Planet A Midterm Assessment of Progress Toward Implementation of the Decadal Survey (2024) / Chapter Skim
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Among many scientific achievements, the fleet of existing and recently launched satellites and instruments has provided new capabilities to track and help understand methane leaks, sea-level rise, groundwater pumping, deforestation, wildfires, ocean surface topography, ocean primary productivity, and glacial outburst floods and has enabled significant improvements in a variety of applications, such as wildfire management, conservation of water resources, and risk reduction of extreme heat, flooding, and landslides. Throughout its work, however, the committee found that progress has been slow relative to the decadal survey recommendations, especially given the increasing urgency caused by disruptions and damages from weather and climate events and despite significant excitement in the broad scientific community regarding recently launched satellite missions from the pre-decadal survey program of record.
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CURRENT AND PROJECTED BUDGET PRESSURES Satellite records are critical in efforts to monitor the impacts of climate change on local communities, understand climate feedbacks to improve prediction, and document the effectiveness of emission reductions at home and abroad. Given the observed rapid pace of climate and environmental changes, the need for actionable information based on satellite observations is increasing rapidly to better inform society, assist in the process of decision making, and protect society and human lives.
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and 25, 2024. NASA Earth Science Division's actual FY 2019–2023 and planned FY 2019–2030 new expenditures based on the president's FY 2024 budget request (bottom)
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and the Earth System Observatory Independent Review Board recommendations (ESO IRB 2022; NASA 2022, response 23) , NASA's Earth Science Division should seek advice from the National Academies' Committee on Earth Science and Applications from Space prior to adding or substantially modifying individual program elements to ensure appropriate consideration of program balance and decadal survey priorities.
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This increase in performance, however, comes at significantly increased cost -- to NASA for mission development and to USGS owing to the associated increased demands on ground system development -- impacting other program elements at NASA and USGS. The committee acknowledges the significant challenge of balancing the needs and priorities of users of an operational Landsat program with the priorities of the Earth system science and applications community as a whole.
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The committee reviewed each of the five program elements associated with implementing the decadal survey's recommended observation priorities (i.e., Program of Record, Designated, Earth System Explorer, Incubation, and Venture) as well as other key NASA ESD program elements to identify opportunities to improve alignment with decadal survey priorities.
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(Chapter 4) Mass Change The decadal survey recommended that NASA develop a mission to ensure continuity of the Mass Change Targeted Observable with a maximum NASA development cost of $300 million (FY 2018)
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NASA is responsible for developing space and launch segments, and USGS is responsible for collecting user needs, developing and maintaining ground systems, processing and distributing science data to users, and operating on-orbit spacecraft. Following a multiyear user engagement activity in which Landsat users, stakeholders, and the USGS/ NASA Landsat science team provided their observation improvement priorities to meet emerging needs, the SLI program put forth its plans for Landsat 9's successor, dubbed "Landsat Next." The planned increases in performance come at significant cost -- both to NASA for mission development and to USGS owing to the associated increased demands on ground system development -- impacting other program elements at NASA and USGS.
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NASA ESD has made substantial effort yet shows less progress in enhancing workforce vitality and diversity, relative to other divisions. Recommendation: NASA's Earth Science Division (ESD)
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(Chapter 5) Despite rapid changes in climate and life on Earth, and expectations that more comprehensive, detailed, and sustained monitoring will be required to thrive on our changing planet going forward, as noted in the decadal survey, the United States still lacks a strategic framework for ensuring the continuity of key Earth observations beyond specific missions such as Landsat and GRACE, which have developed large user communities that demand continuity for societal and economic benefit.
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