Skip to content
Subscribe

Scientists Fear Climate Data Gap as Satellite Budgets Shrink

Bassel Nasr

Older Earth-observing satellites are ageing, and replacements are not guaranteed.

An earth observation satellite orbiting above the clouds

Much of what we know about the changing climate comes from satellites that measure sea levels, ice and temperature from orbit.

Several of those satellites are past their planned lifetimes. Researchers warn that budget cuts could leave gaps in long-running records that are impossible to fill later.

Scientists are calling for replacement missions to be funded before the current ones fail.