National Aeronautics and Space Administration's 2021 Federal Climate Adaptation Plan

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration's 2021 Federal Climate Adaptation Plan is a national cross-sectoral action plan of the United States. Its main objectives are to reinforce Agency policy to provide greater emphasis on climate change considerations in protecting critical launch and launch support infrastructure through hardening, relocation, and development of redundant International Space Station, launch complex, and other space exploration missions support capabilities; to build from the NASA Climate Strategy Working Group and Science and Technology Forum initiatives to define and establish a community of practice to develop a comprehensive Agency process that identifies climate-related risks to mission and infrastructure, and appropriate strategic and tactical adaptive strategies; to reevaluate screening-level climate exposure and assess vulnerability of critical facilities and supporting infrastructure; to enable detailed asset-level vulnerability analyses for launch support infrastructure in concert with geographic information system capabilities and Priority Action 4; to work with partners to investigate and develop an initial Agency-wide launch support supply chain hazard exposure and vulnerability assessment that incorporates enhanced geographic information system capabilities; to develop and implement Agency guidance and a standardized process for holistic resilience planning that includes climate risk management. (AMP approval in winter 2022, to be updated every four years); to update and approve Center Master Plans (CMPs) every five years. (Two Centers per year); to develop CMP checklists that will track performance against metrics specific to the inclusion of climate change adaptation strategies in AMP and CMP risk management products; to integrate prioritized adaptation strategies in the Agency’s long-term facilities renewal process, and develop an Agency-wide prioritized list of assets for hardening, relocation, or development of a redundant capability; to update Agency policy to strengthen roles and responsibilities in implementing sustainability best practices and formalize recognition of the NASA Sustainability Plan.