Category:NASA

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NASA Origins with a Planet Earth Mission

“To understand and protect our home planet; to explore the universe and search for life; to inspire the next generation of explorers ... as only NASA can.”

In the National Aeronautics and Space Act, which established the agency in 1958, the first objective of the agency was listed as "the expansion of human knowledge of the earth and of phenomena in the atmosphere and space."

• https://www.nasa.gov/offices/ogc/about/space_act1.html

The Space Act has been amended many times since 1958 but these goals have been little changed. In NASA’s Authorization Act for 1985 the expansion of human knowledge “of the Earth” was added to goal.

• https://history.nasa.gov/spaceact-legishistory.pdf

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The "EOS", an Earth Observing System, tracing its origins to the beginnings of Earth Science Research from Space

GreenPolicy360 looks at visionaries who set in motion first-of-its-type digital, multispectral imaging of Planet Earth

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NASA's continuing vision and mission -- “To understand and protect our home planet"

GreenPolicy360: We are putting forward a proposal to restore the "understand and protect" Earth Science provision to the Mission Statement of NASA.

A number of years ago, Journalist Andrew Revkin wrote about the removal of this initial provision that was an essential part of the beginning of NASA as a government agency.

We believe that, although this language was 'silently' removed in 2006, the earth science mission continue to playing an essential role in the missions of NASA and NASA's work.

Here is what Andrew Revkin wrote some 15 years ago:

>Andrew Revkin/July 22, 2006/ NY Times

>“To understand and protect our home planet; to explore the universe and search for life; to inspire the next generation of explorers ... as only NASA can.”

>In February 2006, the phrase "to understand and protect the home planet" was quietly removed from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)'s official mission statement.

>It is the first time since NASA’s founding in 1958 that the mission statement does not explicitly include mention of the Earth.

Here is part of NASA Administrator Bill Nelson's testimony before the Senate oversight committee in 2022:

INDEED A LOT OF PEOPLE THINK OF NASA AS THE SPACE AGENCY. DON'T FORGET TO THE FIRST A, AERONAUTICS. BUT ALSO, PEOPLE DON'T REALIZE IT IS ALSO THE POINT OF THE SPHERE ON CLIMATE AND CLIMATE CHANGE BECAUSE ALL THE MEASUREMENTS THAT ARE BEING MADE ARE DONE BY INSTRUMENTS THAT WE DESIGN, BUILD, LAUNCH AND MANY OF THEM WE OPERATE.

OVER THE COURSE OF THE NEXT DECADE WE ARE GOING TO HAVE A GREAT OBSERVATORY OF FIVE ADDITIONAL MAJOR SPACECRAFT THAT ALL OF THIS INFORMATION IS GOING TO BE PUT INTO A 3D COMPOSITE ON PRECISELY WHAT IS HAPPENING TO THE EARTH'S CLIMATE. WHAT'S HAPPENING TO THE WATER, TO THE LAND, TO THE ICE, TO THE ATMOSPHERE. WE ARE PUTTING UP AT THE END OF THIS YEAR A MISSION THAT IS GOING TO BE ABLE TO MEASURE FOR THE FIRST TIME THE ELEVATION OF THE STREAMS AND RIVERS AND LAKES, THE FRESHWATER. WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO MEASURE THE ELEVATION OF THE OCEANS, THE SALTWATER. WE ARE GOING TO BE ABLE TO FIND OUT VERY PRECISELY WHAT IS HAPPENING TO THE ICE.

ALL OF THIS AND WE HAVE THE SUPPORT OF THE WHITE HOUSE ON THIS AND WE HOPE WE WILL HAVE YOUR SUPPORT. WE ARE GOING TO CREATE IF YOU CAN ENVISION IN SPACE TERMS A MISSION CONTROL CENTER. IT'S GOING TO BE CALLED THE EARTH INFORMATION CENTER. IT'S GOING TO BRING ALL OF THIS DATA IN AND IT'S GOING TO BE DISPLAYED AND IT'S GOING TO BE AVAILABLE TO EVERYBODY, NOT JUST GOVERNMENT AT ALL LEVELS INCLUDING YOUR LOCAL COUNTY COMMISSION WHEN THEY ARE PLANNING, BUT IT'S GOING TO BE AVAILABLE TO SCHOOLS AND UNIVERSITIES AND THE PRIVATE SECTOR AS WELL AS TO WHAT IS HAPPENING AND THE CHANGES THAT ARE HAPPENING TO THE CLAIMANT.

SJS/Siterunner: Readers of GreenPolicy360 can look back at your GreenPolicy founder's work with George E. Brown, who was instrumental as a leader in Congress for over 30 years and led Earth Science efforts, including advancing NASA's first generation of earth research from space.

George E. Brown Jr

• https://www.greenpolicy360.net/w/George_E._Brown_Jr

• https://www.greenpolicy360.net/w/File:US_Public_Law_95-367.png

• https://www.greenpolicy360.net/w/Earth_Science_Research_from_Space

• https://www.greenpolicy360.net/w/Planet_Citizens,_Planet_Scientists

Congressman Brown's point of view for over 30 yrs in Congress was that technology, science, data are guides necessary for smart policy decisions. Check out his record. George set in motion many of the programs and missions to accomplish multi generational environmental protection goals that we have taken up and carried on...

The Original Mission Statement of NASA ((1958) provided Congressional intent and guidance to the first generation of space programs. George, if he were here, would've done everything within his power to protect the original mission statement, even as misinformation and denial are rampant these days ...

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2023

Take a Journey with NASA -- Climate Science, Atmospheric Science, Earth Science -- Our Science

• https://science.nasa.gov/climate-change/

2022

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Earth Observation System / EOS

https://eospso.nasa.gov/content/nasas-earth-observing-system-project-science-office

Essential in today's world and the intense need to address the #climatecrisis

Earth science, atmospheric science, measuring and monitoring, open source/access to the data ...

Our climate action agenda ... planet citizens making a positive difference

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Earth Right Now (Daily via NASA)

• (TW) https://twitter.com/NASAClimate

• (TW) https://twitter.com/NASA

• (TW) https://twitter.com/NASAJPL

Earth Right Now @NASA online

Earth Research from Space @ GreenPolicy online

2018 Update / New NASA Chief Says He Will Protect Climate Research

After his previous rejection of climate science, Jim Bridenstine tells employees he will keep politics out of the agency’s work

Visit NASA

In the National Aeronautics and Space Act, which established the agency in 1958

The first objective of the agency was listed as “the expansion of human knowledge of the earth and of phenomena in the atmosphere and space.”

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Planet Earth

From its origins, NASA has studied our planet in novel ways, using ingenious tools to study physical processes at work—from beneath the crust to the edge of the atmosphere. We look at it in macrocosm and microcosm, from the flow of one mountain stream to the flow of jet streams. Most of all, we look at Earth as a system, examining the cycles and processes—the water cycle, the carbon cycle, ocean circulation, the movement of heat—that interact and influence each other in a complex, dynamic dance across seasons and decades.

For all of the dynamism and detail we can observe from orbit, sometimes it is worth stepping back and simply admiring Earth. It is a beautiful, awe-inspiring place, and it is the only world most of us will ever know.

Of all celestial bodies within reach or view, as far as we can see, out to the edge, the most wonderful and marvelous and mysterious is turning out to be our own planet earth. There is nothing to match it anywhere, not yet anyway. — Lewis Thomas

Sixty years ago, with the launch of Explorer 1, NASA made its first observations of Earth from space. Fifty years ago, astronauts left Earth orbit for the first time and looked back at our “blue marble.” All of these years later, as we send spacecraft and point our telescopes past the outer edges of the solar system, as we study our planetary neighbors and our Sun in exquisite detail, there remains much to see and explore at home.

We are still just getting to know Earth through the tools of science...

• https://www.nasa.gov/connect/ebooks/earth_detail.html

› Kindle readers: MOBI [18.9 MB]

› All other eBook readers: EPUB [25.4 MB]

› PDF readers: PDF [35.4 MB]

› HTML version

Mission Planet Earth: NASA, Earth Science News

• Earth Science Research from Space
• Look at how thin our atmosphere is
• Earth and Space, Politics
• Climate News
• Earth Right Now

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NASA's universe of images, with special emphasis on the home planet

April 2017 / Now available for planet citizens online in one searchable place (via the Cloud w/ AWS)

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What's Really Warming the World...

"What's Really Warming the World? Climate deniers blame natural factors; NASA data proves otherwise."

NASA-GISS presents interactive demonstrations of decades of scientific data and study...

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Join NASA for a #24Seven Celebration of Earth Day

This Earth Day, April 22, 2016, NASA is giving the world an insider’s look into the myriad activities the space agency conducts in a typical day to study and protect our home planet.

And -- we’re asking the world to share your Earth Day with us.

On April 22, NASA will post about 200 images across nearly 100 different social media channels that capture the breadth of the agency’s 24-hour-a-day work to study Earth. The images were captured during the week of March 27, but have been assembled chronologically to tell a story of a “day in the life” of NASA’s Earth science work. The time-stamped posts -- hashtagged #24Seven -- will begin publishing at 12:01 a.m. EDT and will continue throughout the day.

We know we aren’t the only people working to safeguard and understand our home planet. As you celebrate Earth Day, we’re asking you to share on social media what you’re doing to mark the day and celebrate our fragile home in space.

* https://www.facebook.com/nasasolarsystem/videos/10153537798177918/

* https://www.facebook.com/nasasolarsystem/?pnref=story

* http://www.nasa.gov/content/goddard/2016/join-nasa-for-a-24seven-celebration-of-earth-day

Visit featured Earth Day 2016 Planet Citizen sites @GreenPolicy360

Vision of Planet Citizens - https://www.greenpolicy360.net/w/Planet_Citizens

Hello Earth - http://www.greenpolicy360.net/w/HelloEarth

Earth POV - http://www.greenpolicy360.net/w/EarthPOV

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Game-Changing Energy Technology

NASA Research Could Save Commercial Airlines Billions in New Era of Aviation

New technologies, developed under the purview of NASA’s Environmentally Responsible Aviation (ERA) project, could cut airline fuel use in half, pollution by 75 percent and noise to nearly one-eighth of today’s levels.

“If these technologies start finding their way into the airline fleet, our computer models show the economic impact could amount to $255 billion in operational savings between 2025 and 2050,” said Jaiwon Shin, NASA’s associate administrator for aeronautics research.

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Life on the International Space Station

• https://youtu.be/ouv1Un1F36A

Reel 1 / A view of life in space is getting a boost with the introduction of 4K Ultra High-Definition (UHD) video, providing an unprecedented look at what it's like to live and work aboard the International Space Station. This important new capability will allow researchers to acquire high resolution—high frame rate video to provide new insight into the vast array of experiments taking place every day. Cameras will also bestow breathtaking views of planet Earth and space station activities for those still dreaming of making the trip to outer space.

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Live HDTV from the International Space Station

• https://www.urthecast.com/live

Urthecast and NASA bring you live, high definition video from the ISS. Perched 250 miles (400 km) above Earth’s surface, four high-definition (HDEV) cameras capture live 24/7 video of our planet.

See storms swirl over the oceans, watch the sun rise and set 16 times a day, and experience our Blue Marble as a planet citizen watching the earth rotate and roll beneath the ISS.

• http://www.greenpolicy360.net/w/Blue_Marble_Collection

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Open Access / 2015

Your NASA open access database

Open Access to Space Station Science Data and Use of the NASA Physical Sciences Informatics System - http://psi.nasa.gov/home.aspx

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NASA Links/Online Resources

• http://www.nasa.gov/ — http://climate.nasa.gov/

• http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/ — https://twitter.com/NASAJPL

• http://science.nasa.gov/

• http://science.nasa.gov/search/

• http://www.nasa.gov/subject/7782/earth-research-findings/

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NASA Missions

Earth Missions

Humans in Space

Solar System Missions

'Universe' Missions

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NASA News

NASA Goddard

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Earth Right Now

• https://twitter.com/hashtag/EarthRightNow?src=hash

• http://science.nasa.gov/earth-science/

• http://www.nasa.gov/topics/earth/index.html

• http://www.nasa.gov/smap/

• http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/GPM/main/index.html

• http://www.nasa.gov/rapidscat/

• http://www.nasa.gov/cats/

• http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/oco2/index.html

• http://materialsinspace.nasa.gov/

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NASA Social Media

• https://www.nasa.gov/socialmedia/#.VQXH-eH44Rk

• https://twitter.com/nasa

• https://www.facebook.com/NASA

• https://instagram.com/nasa/

• https://plus.google.com/+NASA/posts

• https://www.youtube.com/NASA

• https://vine.co/nasa

• https://www.linkedin.com/company/nasa/

• https://www.flickr.com/photos/nasahqphoto/

• http://www.ustream.tv/nasahdtv

• http://www.slideshare.net/NASA

• https://soundcloud.com/nasa

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Earth Science Research from Space

In the National Aeronautics and Space Act, which established the agency in 1958, the first objective of the agency was listed as “the expansion of human knowledge of the earth and of phenomena in the atmosphere and space.”

From 2002 until February 2006, NASA’s mission statement, prominently featured in its budget and planning documents, read: “To understand and protect our home planet; to explore the universe and search for life; to inspire the next generation of explorers ... as only NASA can.”

In early February, the statement was quietly altered, with the phrase “to understand and protect our home planet” deleted. In this year’s budget and planning documents, the agency’s mission is “to pioneer the future in space exploration, scientific discovery and aeronautics research.”

David E. Steitz, a spokesman for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, said the aim was to square the statement with President Bush’s goal of pursuing human spaceflight to the Moon and Mars.

• http://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/22/science/22nasa.html by Andy Revkin

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NASA-JPL

• http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/

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Note re: the Use of NASA images at GreenPolicy360

• https://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/guidelines/index.html

Fair use of NASA missions images come under NASA and U.S. law and regulations placing these images legally in the Public Domain.

Under United States copyright law, works created by the U.S. federal government or its agencies cannot be copyrighted. (This does not apply to works created by state or local governments.)

GreenPolicy360 make copious use of many NASA images, particularly regarding #EarthScience missions and our focus on the vital importance of #AtmosphericScience

Please visit our "Thin Blue" site in our GreenPolicy network at www.thinbluelayer.com

EarthPOV.com

Planet Citizens, Planet Scientists

Earth Science Research from Space

Measuring & Monitoring Planet Earth Now

Thin Blue Layer

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Any questions re: use of images can be directed to GreenPolicy360 at [email protected]

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GreenPolicy360 requests that all sharing and/or use of our content is accompanied with attribution to GreenPolicy360.net

• https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/