When those of us who aren't rocket scientists (that is, most of us among us) think about NASA, we think of space travel, which is sort of NASA's calling card ever since the moon landings. And in general, space travel seems to be one of the few things Americans can agree on in these fiercely divided times: according to a 2018 Pew Research poll, about 7 in 10 Americans, regardless of party affiliation, "believe it is essential that the United States remain the world leader in space exploration It is essential that the United States remain the world leader in space exploration."

What Americans may not realize, however, is that the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) does more than just explore the solar system. NASA is currently facilitating research on the planet, including the progression of climate change, and when I tell people I work for NASA, they say, "Where?" they say, "where?" says Dr. Paula Bontempi, deputy director of NASA's Earth Science Division.

Not only is NASA fully engaged in Earth science, but the Earth Science Division is approaching its 50th anniversary. In that half-century, NASA has made some of the most groundbreaking discoveries about how the Earth is changing as a result of human activity. From the melting of the polar ice caps over time, to record warm years, to the existence of a hole in the ozone layer that resulted in the Montreal Protocol and a strict international ban on CFC emissions. In other words, we know all the hits on climate change. [NASA] looks at the Earth from a unique perspective: space. And the advantage of that is that we can see the entire planet and its properties, like what's happening in the oceans, in the ice, on the solid earth, on the land, and in the atmosphere." [According to Dr. Bontempi, NASA Earth Science is currently looking at the formation of snow bands in New England, the movement of the Mississippi River as sea levels rise, and how to identify areas susceptible to wildfires.

"And in the oceans, there are a variety of programs to understand how ocean ecosystems are changing, from tiny little algae to the effects of climate change on fisheries and giant organisms like whales.

In some ways it is surprising that a taxpayer-funded agency can do this kind of work, even though many in the upper echelons of government are in denial about the seriousness of climate change. It is not for lack of trying: for years, the Trump administration has tried to pull funding from several NASA projects, often in the areas of outreach and earth science, while increasing funding for manned lunar and Mars exploration.

In particular, the PACE (Plankton, Aerosols, Clouds, and Ocean Ecosystems) satellite project, to be launched in 2022, which will monitor, among other things, how climate change is affecting the ocean food web, had to be stopped by President Trump. The recent announcement that SpaceX, founded by Elon Musk, has been awarded an $80.4 million contract to launch PACE saved it from potential further cuts. Private space companies such as SpaceX and Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin are picking up the tab for NASA projects as the current administration redirects funds to President Trump's pet projects. Climate change, which the president erroneously calls a "hoax," is not included on this list.

NASA has no hesitation in accurately communicating its position on the climate change issue. The NASA website states, "97% of climate scientists agree that the trend of climate warming over the past 100 years is very likely due to human activity, and most of the world's major scientific organizations have issued public statements supporting this position," and the NASA website states, "Climate Change: the Evidence. "The site also details how warming trends are affecting ecosystems and how they are being monitored... NASA is not responsible for policy making, but only for providing the public, educators, and policy makers with research that they can use to make decisions about their daily lives. NASA is not responsible for policymaking, but merely provides research that the public, educators, and policymakers can use to make decisions about their daily lives.

Nevertheless, it remains to be seen how NASA and private space companies contribute to the climate change crisis itself. According to Eos, a science website affiliated with the nonprofit American Geophysical Union, chemicals, particulates, and even water vapor released during rocket launches may be having a negative impact on the climate, the ozone layer, and our environment. NASA's Earth Science Division is not currently conducting experiments on rocket emissions, but it is monitoring changes in emissions. According to the UN report (open in new tab), rocket emissions are less than 0.1% of total CO2 emissions, and increased independent space missions are more likely to impact the climate than NASA. The true impact depends on rocket design, rocket size, launch speed, spaceport location, and fuel type.

I asked Dr. Bontempi what he would say to climate science skeptics. He said, "I wouldn't say they are wrong. I say, 'Let me explain to you how the earth works and how we know the scientific data.' And I want them to feel that they have the tools they need to understand Earth science: "I want them to know that this is their space agency. We are not only exploring our home planet and discovering new things about it, but we are collecting all kinds of data to fund research to provide sustainable resources. Because there is only one Earth system," he said. [While climate change is a terrifying threat, it is reassuring to know that the best minds in the world, no matter who is in power, are working hard to understand exactly what we are facing and to make sure we understand it too. It may seem like just a small step in the right direction, but you know what NASA says about small steps.