NASA ordered to destroy fully functional carbon-monitoring satellite despite its vital climate data contributions : "This is illegal" - African In Space https://www.africaninspace.com/space/nasa-ordered-to-destroy-fully-functional-carbon-monitoring-satellite-despite-its-vital-climate-data-contributions-49273/NASA is facing backlash after reportedly being ordered to destroy a fully operational satellite that plays a crucial role in monitoring the Earth’s atmosphere. Imagine a perfectly good, high-tech spacecraft gathering invaluable data on carbon dioxide – a key player in climate change – only to be sent hurtling back into our atmosphere to burn up. This isn’t the plot of a sci-fi movie; it’s the reality for the Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2 (OCO-2) satellite.
The irony stings: after investing hundreds of millions of dollars in building and launching this satellite, the decision to terminate its mission threatens to unravel years of hard-won scientific progress on tracking greenhouse gases.
I think this is one of the actions that will break Trump's neck when he is taken to court one day for all he did. This is destruction of government property, very expensive government property. There is no excuse, no backdoor. If he just had cut funding, he could have had a lame excuse, but this is leaving scorched earth behind.
