ORBITING THE CLIMATE CRISIS

From NASA and ISRO to ESA and China's CNSA, space agencies are providing vital satellite data that now underpins climate science, forecasting and policymaking worldwide

- KRISHNA GUPTA

The launch of NISAR, a satellite developed through a collaboration between the US's NASA and India’s ISRO on July 30, 2025, has attracted widespread attention, particularly from climate policymakers and climate scientists. Space agencies across the world have contributed to the fight against climate change in the past as well. Other countries with well-developed space programmes include Europe and China. In this article, we look at how space agencies are providing valuable inputs into climate policymaking.

NASA: THE LEADER

The USA's NASA is a clear leader in the use of satellites to monitor climate change. Its Earth Science Division operates more than 20 satellites that observe changes in oceans, vegetation cover, forest cover, wildfires, and ice caps. Some of these missions include the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE), its follow-on mission (GRACE-FO), the Ice, Cloud and Land Elevation Satellite (ICESat) and ICESat-2 missions, as well as Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich and the Jason series of missions, which have documented rising global sea levels since 1992. Some of NASA's key initiatives include:

The Goddard Institute of Space Studies, which collects surface temperature data of land and oceans through its extensive network of meteorological stations.

Sea-level changes observed from space through various satellite missions.

The National Center for Climate Simulation (NCCS), which focuses on climate and weather prediction.

ISRO: THE INDIAN SPACE AGENCY