Bill Nelson, Director NASAA new Earth Information Center opens at NASA Headquarters in Washington. This center will be a physical and virtual space to showcase how data collected by NASA can help improve lives by addressing disasters, environmental issues, and changes in our world. The center offers insights drawn from 60 years of NASA Earth observation initiatives on topics as diverse as sea level rise, air quality, wildfires, greenhouse gases, energy, and agriculture.
NASA’s New Earth Information Center
Introducing the center
On Wednesday, Bill Nelson led a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the introduction of the new Earth Information Center at NASA Headquarters in Washington. The center is both a physical space and a virtual experience, showcasing how NASA data can improve lives in the face of disasters, environmental challenges, and our ever-changing world.
In parallel with the event, the agency launched its Earth Information Center website. The center is scheduled to open its doors to the public on Monday, June 26.
The center’s role in climate change
Climate change is a top priority for the Biden-Harris administration, and NASA plays a critical role in providing data to researchers and others through a vast constellation of Earth-observing satellites. For six decades, NASA satellites, sensors, and scientists have been collecting observations about our planet, and at the Earth Information Center, the public can learn what this data has taught us about sea level rise, air quality, fires, greenhouse gases, energy, and agriculture.
The value of NASA data
Using data for disaster management and agriculture
“For more than 60 years, NASA has used our vantage point in space to monitor Earth with satellites and instruments aboard the International Space Station to gather vital and lifesaving data,” said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson. “To achieve the Biden-Harris administration’s goal of making this data more understandable, accessible, and usable for everyone, NASA is opening the Earth Information Center. From firefighters who rely on NASA data to manage wildfires to farmers who need to know when and where to plant crops, the Earth Information Center will help more people make informed decisions every day.”
Access to information for everyone
Whether they live in cities, suburbs, or on farms, people across the country can access information to understand our dynamic planet and prepare for the impacts of climate change. NASA collects and shares data that can help everyone from the coast, including homebuyers, assess flood risk; companies in the Gulf of Mexico and Great Lakes seeking information on harmful algal blooms; farmers ask for information on droughts and storms; and provincial land use planners who assess wildfire management.
Conclusion
In short, NASA’s new Earth Information Center represents a major step forward in the dissemination and use of data collected by the agency. This hub, both physical and virtual, will allow a wide range of users to access valuable information to address environmental challenges, manage disasters and better understand our ever-changing planet.
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