Congress allocates $9 million to ready the DSCOVR climate satellite for launch

[kgrandia]

This was a $125 million dollar satellite that would have answered a lot of questions about climate change and it was (surprise, surprise) mothballed when the Bush administration took office. Many say it was killed because Cheney and Bush didn't like the fact that it was a project that Al Gore had actively promoted.

All that's changed now!

Congress passed Omnibus Appropriations Bill 1105 yesterday and on page 141 we find this:

“The bill provides $9,000,000 for NASA to refurbish and ensure flight and operational readiness of DSCOVR earth science instruments.”

The history on this goes back a long ways and one of my writers has literally obsessed and hammered away at NASA for the last two years.

If you're interested here's all the details: http://www.desmogblog.com/dscovr-finally-going-fly

[pimpbot]

1. Hopefully it makes it to orbit, unlike the last one

http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/asection/la-na-satellite-lost25-2009feb25,0,7800007.story

[kgrandia]

2. Heh, yah

That was actually my first thought too. This is an important project, hopefully they'll get it right!

[bananas]

4. It was originally to fly on Colombia, so Bush inadvertently saved it.

[bananas]

3. Great! It's also known as Triana

I was hoping they would do this!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deep_Space_Climate_Observatory

[Barrett808]

5. Aka "Goresat" -- glad to see it finally on its way. n/t