What happened to the settled science? Of course the spin will be that only refinements are needed, which call for more data, but that suggests a measure of uncertainty that isn’t supposed to exist. Climate theory can be something of a shapeshifter when results aren’t as per alarmist forecast.
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NASA’s Earth System Explorers Program selected four proposals to study greenhouse gases, the ozone layer, ocean currents, and ice changes, says NASA/JPL (via SciTechDaily).
Each will get $5 million for a one-year study before NASA picks two for future launches.
Four proposals have been selected by NASA for concept studies of missions to help us better understand Earth science key focus areas for the benefit of all, including greenhouse gases, the ozone layer, ocean surface currents, and changes in ice and glaciers around the world.
These four investigations are part of the agency’s new Earth System Explorers Program — which conducts principal investigator-led space science missions as recommended by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine 2017 Decadal Survey for Earth Science and Applications from Space.
The program is designed to enable high-quality Earth system science investigations to focus on previously identified key targets.
For this set of missions, NASA is prioritizing greenhouse gases as one of its target observables.
Addressing Climate Challenges
“The proposals represent another example of NASA’s holistic approach to studying our home planet,” said Nicky Fox, associate administrator, Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington.
“As we continue to confront our changing climate, and its impacts on humans and our environment, the need for data and scientific research could not be greater. These proposals will help us better prepare for the challenges we face today, and tomorrow.”
Full article here.
(includes the four proposals selected for concept studies)
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Image: NOAA weather satellite [credit: NASA]
Tallbloke's Talkshop 
New knowledge is needed, if these studies are accurate and honest and the results are divulged honestly, these studies will/may change “so called” climate science toward something respectable. I am especially interested in the
Earth Dynamics Geodetic Explorer (EDGE)
This mission would observe the three-dimensional structure of terrestrial ecosystems and the surface topography of glaciers, ice sheets, and sea ice as they are changing in response to climate and human activity.
That last part:
“as they are changing in response to climate and human activity”;
indicates this is only an exercise in building on the climate alarm-ism and not any kind of actual science. Glaciers, ice sheets, and sea ice are not in their energy balance charts or theory, not considered in any natural self-correction, not any factor of causing changes, only factors harmed by a trace gas.
“if these studies are accurate and honest and the results are divulged honestly”
Heh, good luck with that!
“Climategate”, anyone?
‘modelers are still in denial, because it shows reduction of cloud caused the warming not CO2’
Switch to plan B and claim CO2 from human activities causes reduction of cloud cover 😏