Representatives from NOAA and NASA met with science leaders, policymakers, and stakeholders this week to plan for the new Atmospheric Composition Instrument (ACX) that will be launched with NOAA’s Geostationary Extended Observations (GeoXO) satellite mission in the 2030s. The meeting began with remarks from NOAA’s Chief Scientist Sarah Kapnick, NESDIS Assistant Administrator Stephen Volz, OAR Assistant Administrator Steve Thur, along with leadership from NASA, EPA, and the White House Office of Science, Technology, and Policy. Climate Program Office staff from the Atmospheric Chemistry, Carbon Cycle and Climate (AC4) Program and Earth’s Radiation Budget (ERB) Program were among those involved in the initial planning for this new air quality instrument and part of the organizing team for the GeoXO ACX science team meeting.
The ACX instrument will provide valuable hourly space-borne observations on air pollutants from transportation, power generation, industry, oil and gas extraction, volcanoes, and wildfires across North America, supporting climate and air quality research and mitigation. Participants at the science team meeting worked to advance the coordination and strategic planning for ACX capabilities. Over three days, the meeting connected the atmospheric science, technology, and stakeholder communities through comprehensive sessions that discussed the latest updates, shared new research, and increased collaboration opportunities. The meeting offered practical experience through hands-on training with satellite data, enhancing readiness for ACX’s future deployment. This meeting reinforced the mission’s policy relevance and fostered direct engagement between the GeoXO team and its diverse user community.
For more information, contact Clara Deck.
Image credit: NOAA NESDIS
