NASA's View of Earth

On Thursday, President Obama addressed the United States about the future of NASA. That same day, European flights were grounded due to an Icelandic volcano eruption. There is a connection.

President Obama’s recent support for NASA has been met with many opinions about the direction of our space program. His vision for NASA includes a push to Mars in the next 25 years, continued support of current space science endeavors, and increased support for partnerships with private space organizations. It also includes the scrapping of the constellation program at a time when we are retiring the space shuttle program - and any chance of a return to the moon.

My opinion is that the space program is of utmost importance. It is my belief that one day – many years from now - when students learn about the great civilization known as the United States, the first bullet-point discussed will be the achievements of our space program - highlighted by our six visits to the moon’s surface. As stated previously on this blog, I believe that our country’s scientific endeavors are the key to our country’s economic power and future. I personally would like to see funding increase for NASA. I know that at this time many people are concerned about government spending, but spending on NASA (one tenth of one percent of our GDP) is one of our best investments.

What does this have to do with volcanoes in Iceland? NASA teaches us as much about our Earth as it does about space. Currently, the world is monitoring Iceland’s volcanoes from our space satellites and space station. Our understanding of the volcano, the glaciers that feed the large plume clouds, and the weather patterns that carry the ash, are all because we have funded NASA. American satellites will help scientists tell the world when it will be ok to return to air flight. They will also help scientists understand how the volcanic ash will affect our atmosphere and environment. Above is a satellite picture of the volcano from space.