spacetoday.net: Study criticizes NASA earth science satellite plans

Study criticizes NASA earth science satellite plans

Posted: Fri, Jan 19, 2007, 6:55 AM ET (1155 GMT)
Aqua spacecraft illustration (NASA)

A study released this week by the National Academy of Sciences concluded that the US government, particularly NASA, needs to invest in a new generation of Earth observation satellites to replace existing but aging spacecraft. The study, released Monday at the American Meteorological Society conference, said that the problem can be traced to a gradual decline in NASA's earth science's budget, which is now a half-billion dollars per year smaller in constant dollars than it was in 2002. The study proposed 17 missions, including 15 that would be operated by NASA, that need to be launched between 2010 and 2020 to augment the existing system of Earth observation satellites.