Two new proposed NASA Earth science missions will attempt to address key research topics while leveraging both commercial and exploration capabilities.
During NASA’s “Ignition” event March 24, the agency announced two new Earth science mission concepts, called EAGLE and FALCON. The announcements were largely overlooked at an event that focused on development of a lunar base and nuclear propulsion systems as well as changes to NASA’s support for commercial space stations.
The two missions are intended to implement observations recommended by the most recent Earth science decadal survey, but do so more quickly and less expensively than earlier, more traditional mission concepts.
“We’re trying to get more shots on goal,” Karen St. Germain, director of NASA’s Earth science division, told a National Academies committee the day after the Ignition event.
She said the goal was to develop new missions within two to three years. “We would like to clear the decks, more or less, for the next decadal,” around the end of this decade.
One of the new missions is EAGLE, or Explorer for Artemis Geology Lunar and Earth. It would fly a hyperspectral instrument that would perform the surface biology and geology observations recommended by the decadal survey.
EAGLE, as proposed, would have applications beyond Earth science. “The same kind of instrument that can do decadal science on Earth can also help you identify critical resources on the moon and Mars, and can help you select landing sites,” said St. Germain.
Eagle would first demonstrate the instrument in Earth orbit. The agency could then adapt the instruments for future missions orbiting the moon or Mars. “This ties to one of the things the administrator talks about,” she said, “which is treating the agency mission as an integrated mission and looking for connections wherever they make sense.”
The other proposed mission is FALCON, or Fleet for the Atmosphere Linking Commercial Observations with NASA. It will fly NASA-developed lidar and radar instruments to study clouds, convection and the atmosphere, St. Germain said.
However, there will be an opportunity for companies to develop their own spacecraft with radiometers to augment the observations from NASA spacecraft. NASA released a request for information March 24 seeking industry input on how they would like to participate on FALCON.
EAGLE has a three-year development schedule and cost of $310 million. St. Germain said NASA is still developing cost and schedule targets for FALCON. NASA’s fiscal year 2027 budget proposal, released April 3, did not include details about either mission.
EAGLE and FALCON are part of a broader initiative for “science as a service” with NASA. The agency released an RFI March 24 looking at how it can leverage commercial capabilities in heliophysics and astrophysics as well as in Earth science. Responses to the RFI are due April 23.
In a March 31 interview, Nicky Fox, NASA associate administrator for science, said she’s received a “very positive” initial response to those plans. “Jared Isaacman has been very clear with me. He wants science on everything,” she said.
“There are people who don’t study the moon and Mars who are a little worried about whether we still going to be doing other science,” she said. “It was very important to roll out the Earth science call as well as the science as a service call.”
“There’s always going to be room for big, exotic missions,” she said. “There are some missions that will have to be bespoke and very challenging. But for the things that don’t have to be, let’s not make them.”