White House Plan To Dismantle Key Climate And Space Research Center Sparks Concern

The White House’s recent announcement to dismantle the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) in Boulder, Colorado, has sparked concern among scientists and experts in the field of space research. According to sources, including SpaceNews, the decision was made to address what the Office of Management and Budget director Russell Vought described as the “largest source of climate alarmism in the country.” NCAR, managed by the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR) for the National Science Foundation, is renowned for its work in weather and climate science.

However, it also conducts critical research on space weather, studying the sun’s impact on Earth’s magnetosphere and upper atmosphere. This research is crucial for understanding and predicting space weather hazards caused by solar storms. The center’s involvement in NASA heliophysics missions further underscores its significance in space research.

For instance, NCAR scientist Holly Gilbert leads the Chromospheric Magnetism Explorer (CMEx), a mission selected for further study as part of NASA’s heliophysics Small Explorer program. CMEx aims to explore the sun’s chromosphere using an ultraviolet spectrometer. NCAR is also a partner on the COSMIC-2 mission, a joint U. S.-Taiwan endeavor that launched six spacecraft in 2019.