CU Boulder professor Steve Nerem to co-chair NASA survey | ETIH EdTech News — EdTech Innovation Hub

The National Academies study will recommend NASA's Earth observation and research priorities for 2028–2037, drawing on more than 250 submissions from the scientific community

University of Colorado Boulder professor R. Steven Nerem has been named Co-Chair of a National Academies committee tasked with developing recommendations for NASA's Earth science research and satellite observation priorities over the next decade.

Nerem, a Professor in the Ann and H.J. Smead Department of Aerospace Engineering Sciences, will co-lead the Decadal Survey for Earth Science and Applications from Space 2028–2037 (ESAS 2028), alongside Anna M. Michalak.

Commissioned by NASA and conducted by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, the study will assess existing Earth observation capabilities, identify research priorities and recommend future activities across NASA's Earth science portfolio.

The committee brings together scientists, engineers and representatives from industry and nonprofit organizations. Its recommendations will inform decisions about satellite missions, scientific instruments and research priorities for the decade beginning in 2028.

NASA's Earth Science Division currently operates 20 orbiting satellites supporting research into the atmosphere, land, oceans and polar ice caps.

More than 250 research proposals under consideration

The committee faces decisions about which scientific activities NASA should prioritize as existing satellites approach the end of their operational lives and new technologies become available.

Nerem says the study will require researchers to consider priorities beyond their individual areas of expertise: "NASA can’t do everything, so this group has to prioritize Earth science as a whole."

More than 250 white papers have already been submitted from across the United States, covering proposed missions, new instruments and potential gaps in Earth observation capabilities.

The survey will develop recommendations across several scientific areas, including atmospheric research, polar ice, Earth's surface and natural hazards, ecosystems, oceanography and water cycles.

A separate panel will examine the state of the Earth science profession.

The National Academies has been asked to produce a strategy that addresses major scientific challenges while remaining realistic about financial constraints. The work will build on the previous Earth science decadal survey and allow priorities to be reviewed as scientific and technological developments emerge.

Decades of satellite research at Colorado Boulder

Nerem has spent 35 years working in Earth science, using satellite measurements to investigate changes in sea levels, Earth's gravitational field and its surface.

He is also a Fellow of the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences and Director of the Colorado Center for Astrodynamics Research (CCAR) at the University of Colorado Boulder.

Established in 1985, CCAR conducts research spanning satellite oceanography, geodesy, space weather, astrodynamics and navigation. Its activities also include applying satellite technology to lunar and interplanetary mission design.

The center has 160 personnel, including 19 tenure-track and research professors, 13 research associates, 73 graduate students and 46 undergraduates, connecting university research with satellite applications and geophysical science.

John Evans, Department Chair of the Ann and H.J. Smead Department of Aerospace Engineering Sciences, highlighted Nerem's appointment in an October 22 LinkedIn post.

Evans pointed to Nerem's research into rising sea levels and changes in the distribution of water and ice, alongside his leadership of CCAR.

Nerem's appointment continues the university's involvement in National Academies space science planning.

Waleed Abdalati, Director of the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, previously co-chaired the National Academies' Earth science decadal survey published in 2017. Dan Baker, Director of the Colorado Space Policy Center, also led the 2013 solar and space physics decadal survey.

The ESAS 2028 committee is expected to spend the next year reviewing existing capabilities and developing recommendations, with input from researchers and users of Earth observation data across the public, private and national security sectors.

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