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COLORADO SPRINGS—From orbit, the beginning of a wildfire resembles a missile launch, an example of dual-use Earth science data that could hold sway as NASA reportedly prepares for the possible termination of missions on the Trump administration’s chopping block.
At a Congressional Roundtable April 6 ahead of the opening of this year’s Space Symposium here, first-time U.S. Rep. George Whitesides (D-Calif.) said he recently learned that NASA was taking steps to prepare for possible termination of upcoming Earth science missions, as well as those now in extended operations following completion of their primary missions.
“Over the last few days, I’ve received documents that show missions in formulation and missions in extended operations in the Earth science directive have been asked for a termination plan beginning in FY 26,” Whitesides said at the conclusion of the panel, which was closed to the media except for final summaries.
“To be clear, this is not yet agency direction, but the fact that we are preparing these scenarios is extremely concerning, and I’m going to be working very hard to make sure that we protect our Earth science missions,” he added.
NASA reportedly is preparing for a White House directive that could halve its $7 billion science budget.
Against that backdrop, a space science panel on April 7, the opening day of the 40th Space Symposium, emphasized how the fleet of spacecraft providing data about Earth’s water, atmosphere, gravity, weather and other attributes is not only important for understanding and preparing for the changing climate, but also has implications for national security and the intelligence community.
“We don’t want any of our planes or drones leaving contrails, so with a better understanding of atmospheric profiles, we can hopefully minimize those types of impacts,” said Sheldon Drobot, an international business developer with BAE Systems (formerly Ball Aerospace).
Another example is an upcoming mission to study the color of the oceans, which would provide insights about harmful algae blooms in coastal regions. “That’s great for keeping our beaches open, but it’s also really important for salvage operations and for knowing the clarity of water for divers,” Drobot said.
BAE also is working on a proposed satellite called Fuego designed to rapidly spot small wildfires before they burn out of control.
“It turns out that the wildfire signature when it starts isn’t that different from a missile warning or missile defense, so we’re using the background we have in missile-warning defense, tying that to a civil mission,” Drobot said.
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