NASA intern builds foresight tools to secure Earth science data continuity
Lindsey Jacobson is developing analysis tools at NASA’s Langley Research Centre to help the agency anticipate disruptions in its Earth-observing satellite portfolio and maintain continuous data delivery.
NASA’s Earth-observing satellite missions track dozens of features of a changing planet, including aerosols, sea levels, land cover, and cloud cover, over years and decades. Sustaining this record for scientific and operational communities requires more than engineering talent; it demands planning for an uncertain future. Lindsey Jacobson, a Pathways intern at NASA’s Langley Research Centre in Hampton, Virginia, is helping the agency anticipate disruptions before they occur and providing senior leaders with options for managing them.
Jacobson supports the NASA Earth Science Division through the NASA Earth Science Strategic Integration Environment (NESSIE) team within the Systems Analysis and Concepts Directorate. She has returned to NASA Langley every summer since 2022 while completing her mechanical engineering dissertation at North Carolina State University. The Pathways program connects undergraduate and graduate students with NASA centres through internships that, with satisfactory performance, can lead to full-time civil service positions.
The NESSIE team supports the Earth science satellite portfolio, which consists of dozens of missions measuring specific planetary features. The primary challenge is uncertainty regarding mission lifetimes, on-orbit events, and schedules. Jacobson’s specific focus is building analysis tools that provide the team with what she describes as a “foresight ability.” This allows the team to anticipate changes across the portfolio and have strategies in mind for how to respond, ensuring data continues to reach end users.
Jacobson compares this proactive approach to preparing for hurricane season. Just as one would pre-position storm shutters and sandbags before a warning is issued, the team aims to understand ahead of time what a disruption might mean and have a set of responses ready. By proactively suggesting strategies and alternatives, the team helps senior leadership navigate a complex, interdependent portfolio.
The Earth science landscape is evolving due to increased data contributions from commercial companies, the entry of new space agencies, and the emergence of innovative technologies. Jacobson notes that keeping pace with this shift is as much a part of the job as any technical calculation. Her approach is influenced by her graduate research, which examines how complex systems, such as the electric grid, must evolve deliberately rather than being rebuilt from scratch.
The team is also integrating artificial intelligence tools into its workflow, reflecting a broader effort at Langley to adopt new technologies. Trina Dyal, NASA Langley’s director, has emphasised the centre’s history of “firsts” and its commitment to learning new things. Jacobson’s work underscores the need for adaptability in a field where the methods of doing Earth science are constantly changing.
