NASA's Earth System Observatory: A Push for Progress Despite Budget Uncertainties
Despite uncertainty about funding for the next year, NASA is moving forward with a multi-billion dollar series of Earth science missions. The agency is currently developing four missions as part of the Earth System Observatory: Atmosphere Observing System (AOS)-Storm, AOS-Sky, Surface Biology and Geology, and Mass Change, which has been renamed GRACE-Continuity or GRACE-C to emphasize its connections to previous missions. Additionally, a fifth mission, Surface Deformation and Change, is an extended study phase that will incorporate lessons learned from the upcoming NISAR mission. These missions aim to answer a range of questions in Earth science and provide integrated observations, science, and applications for societal benefit.