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Science in Action

NASA’s projects advance what’s possible here on Earth.

Earth Action

Supporting Public Services with NASA Data

NASA uses the vantage point of space to increase our understanding of our home planet, improve lives, and safeguard our future. The end-to-end capability of NASA Earth Science Division – from developing new technology to delivering actionable science –makes it unique among U.S. government science agencies. NASA’s Earth science measurements, research, models, and applications form the basis for the operational services of other public agencies, such as the U.S. EPA, National Weather Service, FEMA, USDA, and more. 

Enabling Earth Science at NASA

NASA and Agriculture

In the satellite era, Earth observing data has increasingly become part of the food farming process. With observations from space and aircraft, combined with high-end computer modeling, NASA scientists work with partner agencies, organizations, farmers, ranchers, fishermen, and decision makers to share our understanding of the relationship between the Earth system and the environments that provide us food.

Human Faces of Earth Science

Meet Amber Soja, a physical scientist at NASA’s Langley Research Center. Amber is part of the Health and Air Quality Applied Science Team (HAQAST) that is studying how the transport of smoke affects air quality and human health. Her team uses NASA satellite data, ground sensors, and field campaigns to put together a comprehensive picture of fires, making the NASA data applicable to communities across the globe.

14 min read

NASA’s Brad Doorn Brings Farm Belt Wisdom to Space-Age Agriculture

5 min read

Meet the People Behind the SWOT Water-Tracking Satellite

Assistant Research Scientist Nikki Tulley

Nikki Tulley is a member of the Navajo Nation, and a summer 2020 intern with Water Resources in NASA’s Western Water Applications Office (WWAO). She is pursuing a Ph.D. at the University of Arizona.

Cindy Schmidt: Finding A Career in Remote Sensing and Geographic Information Systems

Science mentor, world traveler, remote sensing teacher, research scientist, and Indigenous Peoples Pilot program lead – it’s hard to keep track of everything Cindy Schmidt does in her role as an associate program manager for the Ecological Conservation program.

It takes a lot of field work in challenging conditions to gather important snow data. This is the story of NASA’s last SnowEx campaign and those who participated in it. In March 2023, scientists traveled to research sites in the northern tundra and in Fairbanks, Alaska. Ground crews looked to validate data collected from airborne instruments, while the flight crews continued collecting snow data in order to see what instruments best measure snow globally. The goal for SnowEx is to determine the best remote-sensing techniques for a potential future satellite. Snow data is extremely important and can tell us things like how much spring runoff can be expected, which is vital for water resource management.

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