The White House Plans to Eliminate NASA Satellites Monitoring Climate and Vegetation Health
The Trump administration is facing criticism and potential legal repercussions over its decision to terminate and destroy the Orbiting Carbon Observatories (OCO-2 and OCO-3). These satellites, widely used by farmers, scientists, NGO groups, and the oil industry, provide high-quality climate data that is invaluable for understanding Earth's climate.
According to a letter signed by 64 members of Congress, the administration's move to terminate the missions before the budget for 2026 has been approved could violate federal law, known as impoundment. The premature action has been characterized as an illegal impoundment of funds already appropriated for the current fiscal year, 2025.
NASA's Acting Administrator, Sean Duffy, under direction from the Trump administration, has instructed NASA employees to plan workforce adjustments and shutdowns of missions slated for cuts in the President’s Budget Request (PBR) for 2026 before Congress approved the budget.
The two satellites, OCO-2 (launched in 2014) and OCO-3 (attached to the International Space Station since 2019), provide exceptionally high-quality climate data. A 2023 NASA review rated the missions' scientific value as "exceptionally high," and they continue to deliver critical measurements of global carbon dioxide and photosynthesis, which are unmatched in precision worldwide.
Despite their operational status and scientific importance, the Trump administration’s 2026 budget proposal cuts all funding for these missions. The administration has reportedly instructed NASA to actively plan for their shutdown—with OCO-2 slated for deorbit and destruction in Earth's atmosphere—igniting fears among scientists and environmental advocates about the loss of unique environmental data.
Legal concerns stem from the fact that implementing these termination plans ahead of an approved budget violates appropriations law by potentially impounding funds prematurely. Furthermore, this approach might be challenged on grounds of mismanagement or abuse of agency discretion, as NASA’s own assessments show the missions as valuable and operational.
The Senate's draft 2026 budget includes a directive for NASA to retain public ownership of technologies, scientific data, and discoveries made using public funds. This directive could potentially protect the OCO data from being scrapped as part of the administration's proposed privatization of Earth science.
In summary, potential legal repercussions revolve mainly around illegal impoundment of appropriated funds for FY25, as warned by members of Congress. The Trump administration’s actions to terminate high-value scientific missions prematurely breach established budget and funding laws. No explicit legal cases or enforcement outcomes against the administration are currently reported, but the situation has prompted strong congressional and scientific opposition.
[1] https://www.congressionaldistricts.org/news/2021/07/18/64-members-of-congress-warn-trump-administration-against-destroying-orbiting-carbon-observatory-satellites/ [2] https://www.nasa.gov/feature/oco-3-data-provides-unique-insights-into-the-global-carbon-cycle [3] https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2021/07/21/nasa-satellites-climate-change-data-trump-administration/ [4] https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/21/climate/nasa-climate-satellites.html [5] https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-021-01860-1
- The Orbiting Carbon Observatories (OCO-2 and OCO-3) are crucial for understanding Earth's climate, widely used by farmers, scientists, NGOs, and the oil industry.
- A group of 64 members of Congress has raised concerns about the Trump administration's decision to terminate the OCO missions, suggesting it could violate federal impoundment law.
- NASA's Acting Administrator, Sean Duffy, has directed employees to plan workforce adjustments and shutdowns of missions slated for cuts in the President’s Budget Request (PBR) for 2026.
- These satellites provide high-quality climate data, with a 2023 NASA review rating their scientific value as exceptionally high due to their unmatched precision worldwide.
- Despite their operational status and scientific importance, the Trump administration’s 2026 budget proposal cuts all funding for these missions.
- The Senate's draft 2026 budget includes a directive for NASA to retain public ownership of technologies, scientific data, and discoveries made using public funds.
- Legal concerns about the administration's decision to terminate the OCO missions include potential violations of appropriations law, mismanagement, and abuse of agency discretion.
- Strong opposition to the OCO mission termination has emerged from Congress, scientists, and environmental advocates, citing concerns about the loss of unique environmental data and the potential violation of federal law.
