Toward a US Framework for Continuity of Satellite Observations of Earth's Climate and for Supporting Societal Resilience

There is growing urgency for improved public and commercial services to support a resilient, secure, and thriving United States (US) in the face of mounting decision‐support needs for environmental stewardship and hazard response, as well as for climate change adaptation and mitigation. Sustained space‐based Earth observations are critical infrastructure to support the delivery of science and decision‐support information with local, national, and global utility. This is reflected in part through the United States' sustained support of a suite of weather and land‐imaging satellites. However, outside of these two areas, the US lacks an overarching, systematic plan or framework to identify, prioritize, fund, and implement sustained space‐based Earth observations to meet the Nation's full range of needs for science, government policy, and societal support. To aid and accelerate the discussion on our nation's needs, challenges and opportunities associated with sustained critical space‐based Earth observations, the Keck Institute for Space Studies (KISS) sponsored a multi‐week think‐tank study to offer ways forward. Based on this study, the KISS study team suggests the establishment of a robust coordination framework to help address US needs for sustained Earth observations. This coordination framework could account for: (a) approaches to identify and prioritize satellite observations needed to meet US needs for science and services, (b) the rapidly evolving landscape of space‐based Earth viewing architecture options and technology improvements with increasing opportunities and lower cost access to space, and (c) the technical and programmatic underpinnings required for proper and comprehensive data stewardship to support a wide range of research and public services.

The KISS Continuity Study Team would like to thank the Keck Institute for Space Studies for organizing and supporting the study “Developing a Continuity Framework for Satellite Observations of Climate” that led to the writing of this manuscript, with particular gratitude to Michele Judd for her professionalism, expertise and passion. The Team, co-chaired by Betsy Weatherhead, Tapio Schneider, and Duane Waliser would also like to thank the Jet Propulsion Laboratory's Center for Climate Sciences for their support of the three preparatory mini-symposia mentioned in Section 1. The contributions from DL, DW, GS, MH, RS, and SB were carried out on behalf of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, under a contract with NASA. NB was supported by the Chief of Naval Research through the NRL Base Program, PE 0601153N. Any use of trade, firm, or product names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the US Government.