Trump Administration Plans NASA Carbon, Plant Health Mission Shutdown

President Donald Trump's 2026 budget proposal includes zero funding for NASA's Orbiting Carbon Observatory missions, effectively ending two key programs that monitor carbon dioxide emissions and plant health from space. NASA described the missions as "beyond their prime mission" and aligned the termination with the President’s agenda and budget priorities, but experts warn the satellites remain the most accurate global tools for tracking greenhouse gases and photosynthesis. These missions have provided crucial insights, such as revealing that the Amazon rainforest emits more carbon dioxide than it absorbs and that boreal forests and melting permafrost regions act as carbon sinks. Scientists, including retired NASA researcher David Crisp and climate expert Jonathan Overpeck, have criticized the decision as short-sighted, emphasizing the missions' importance for understanding climate change, managing droughts, and predicting food shortages that could lead to civil unrest. Congress is currently divided, with a House bill supporting the shutdown and a Senate version seeking to preserve the missions, creating uncertainty about their future funding. The potential loss of this data source raises concerns among scientists, policymakers, and farmers about the ability to address rapidly evolving climate challenges effectively.