Researchers express concern over Trump's proposed budget cuts potentially halting satellite research on atmospheric pollution: "It's extremely myopic"
Funding for crucial research into the environmental impacts of rocket and satellite air pollution on Earth's atmosphere is reportedly being cut under the Trump administration's budget revisions, sparking concern among experts who fear this will set back the emerging field of environmental science.
According to Science, the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is set to receive a $1.52 billion reduction in funding, with climate science-focused projects taking the most significant hits. This cut is expected to include funding for the NOAA's Office of Atmospheric Research, which oversees several research projects examining the impact of rocket and satellite air pollution on Earth's atmosphere, according to The Guardian.
Samantha Lawler, an associate professor of astronomy at the University of Regina in Canada, expressed particular concern, stating that the cancellation of NOAA research comes at a critical juncture in human history. Over the past fifteen years, the number of satellites orbiting Earth has increased tenfold, and with this growth, the amount of debris re-entering the atmosphere and causing potential harm is escalating rapidly.
"Just last month, we've averaged three Starlink re-entries per day," Lawler told our website. "That's a lot of metal being added to the upper atmosphere. Right now is a very sensitive time to cut this research. The re-entries are really rising quickly. If we stop measuring what is happening in the atmosphere right now, we could be way beyond the point where we can stop the damage that's being done."
The AP reports that satellites are primarily composed of aluminum, which is not typically found in abundant quantities in meteorites that enter Earth's atmosphere. They also contain lithium and other materials that are not naturally occurring in the higher atmospheric layers. Scientists are particularly concerned about the effects of aluminum incineration, as aluminum oxides produced during the high-altitude burn-up are known to cause ozone depletion.
These metal particles could also impact the atmosphere's thermal balance, as could soot particles emitted in rocket exhaust. Researchers worry that all these human-made chemicals entering the upper stratosphere and mesosphere could lead to further climate disruptions and exacerbate the carbon-related climate change already underway.
Over the past few years, scientists from around the globe have begun to untangle the effects of elusive air pollution in the hard-to-reach upper atmospheric layers, hoping to understand the chemical reactions it triggers. The work of NOAA has served as a vital foundation for this research, providing a baseline that would be difficult to replace.
Eloise Marais, an atmospheric chemistry professor at University College London, explained that the absence of NOAA projects would be a devastating loss to the emergent research field.
"NOAA expertise and measurement capabilities add an important dimension of observational evidence of environmental impact of rocket launches and re-entry ablation pollution that can't simply be replaced without serious delays during a time of rapid growth in our sector activities when this research is crucial," Marais wrote in an email to our website.
NOAA is the only research organization worldwide that has chartered NASA's high-altitude aircraft to search for satellite air pollution particles in the stratosphere above the Arctic. Their findings, published in 2023, documented disconcerting results, detecting aluminum and other "exotic" metals embedded in aerosol particles in the atmosphere in measurable concentrations.
In addition to understanding the chemical reactions induced by satellite air pollution, NOAA's supercomputers are uniquely suited to modeling the evolution of the atmosphere's response to the rising concentrations of particles. These models would help predict the potential effects of satellite-generated pollution on climate and atmospheric conditions.
Both Lawler and Marais expressed concern that even if funding is reinstated after the end of the Trump term, the field would not be able to recover quickly enough. NOAA not only supports its own research but also provides funding for other institutions and commercial entities to collaborate on projects and offer expert training.
"It won't simply be a four-year pause," said Marais. "It will take much longer than that to rebuild what Trump is destroying."
Lawler warned that any pause in training the next generation of atmospheric researchers specializing in the nascent field of satellite air pollution effects would have repercussions for decades to come.
"Nobody will be trained to step in and do the next-generation work of science," said Lawler. "Even a one-year pause would have incredibly detrimental effects on what research is done and what research can be done in the future."
Marais believes that the only chance to salvage the emerging science field at this crucial time is through European countries stepping up to the plate, creating opportunities for displaced scientists.
The European Space Agency (ESA), which has a strong sustainability agenda and itself funds research into the effects of satellite air pollution, refused to comment on the situation.
Timothy Whitehouse, Executive Director of the non-profit Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility, told our website that the effective date of the cuts is still uncertain.
"This administration has not been transparent in spending the money that Congress has authorized," Whitehouse wrote in an email. "Our sources tell us this is happening now and is a big problem for this program."
NOAA did not respond to our website's request for comment.
- The Trump administration's budget revisions reportedly include a cut in funding for crucial research into the environmental impacts of rocket and satellite air pollution on Earth's atmosphere, a move that has sparked concern among experts in the field of environmental science.
- The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is set to receive a significant reduction in funding, with climate science-focused projects taking the largest hits, according to Science and The Guardian.
- Experts, such as Samantha Lawler, an associate professor of astronomy at the University of Regina in Canada, fear that the cancellation of NOAA research could have serious long-term consequences, particularly at a time when the number of satellites orbiting Earth is escalating rapidly.
- Scientists are particularly concerned about the effects of aluminum incineration from satellites, as aluminum oxides produced during high-altitude burn-up are known to cause ozone depletion, and these metal particles could also impact the atmosphere's thermal balance.
- The absence of NOAA projects would be a devastating loss to the emergent research field according to Eloise Marais, an atmospheric chemistry professor at University College London, as NOAA's supercomputers are uniquely suited to modeling the evolution of the atmosphere's response to rising concentrations of particles, which would help predict the potential effects of satellite-generated pollution on climate and atmospheric conditions.
