The possibility of human-caused climate change did not start come to the awareness of the general public until 1988, and did not become a political issue until this millennium.
He therefore cannot legitimately be criticized for his inability to predict where science would go in future decades. However he can legitimately be praised for being prescient about the role of satellites in researching a number of environmental problems, including global warming.
"he can legitimately be praised for being prescient about the role of satellites in researching a number of environmental problems"
Good catch to notice that. I was impressed this too, but didn't post until I saw your reply.
To me, Earth remote sensing is the most clear-cut example of near-term benefit to humanity by space technologies. It's amazing what can be done -- way beyond inputs for weather forecasts.
You can assess health of forest canopy from space (because you can measure water content of leaves -- it's a delicate measurement, but it can be done). (Hyperspectral radiometer)
You can measure full-air-column CO2, CO, and other gases, from space.
You can measure sea surface salinity and temperature, and even surface wind velocity, from space. (microwave radiometer, radar scatterometer)
You can measure tiny post-earthquake land deformations -- not at selected sites, but continuously over a broad area. (Radar interferometry)
All this is way beyond where it started, with pictures of cloud formations. Having these physical inputs allows much better modeling and prediction of all kinds of activity: weather/ecology/seismicity.
The possibility of human-caused climate change did not start come to the awareness of the general public until 1988, and did not become a political issue until this millennium.
He therefore cannot legitimately be criticized for his inability to predict where science would go in future decades. However he can legitimately be praised for being prescient about the role of satellites in researching a number of environmental problems, including global warming.