What critical portfolio does NASA’s Earth Science division maintain regarding aquatic systems?
Answer
A critical portfolio of missions dedicated to observing the ocean remotely via satellite.
Even as NASA shifts focus away from direct physical submersible operations, it remains heavily invested in studying Earth’s aquatic systems through remote sensing from orbit. NASA’s Earth Science division maintains a crucial set of missions utilizing satellites. This remote monitoring capability provides an unparalleled global perspective on interconnected processes across millions of square kilometers, which is distinct from the high-detail, localized view obtained by deep-sea submersibles observing a single hydrothermal vent field.

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