NASA is set to open its new Earth Information Center at its headquarters in Washington on June 26. The center is part physical space and part virtual experience, which shows how NASA data can improve lives in the face of disasters and environmental challenges. A ribbon cutting ceremony was held to launch the center alongside its corresponding Earth Information Center website.
NASA plays a critical role in providing data to researchers and others through its extensive Earth-monitoring constellation of satellites. For six decades, NASA satellites, sensors and scientists have collected observations about the planet – and at the Earth Information Center, the public can glimpse what this data has discovered about sea level rise, air quality, wildfires, greenhouse gases, energy and agriculture.
Bill Nelson, NASA administrator, said, “For more than 60 years, NASA has used our vantage point of space to observe Earth with satellites and instruments aboard the International Space Station to collect vital, life-saving data. To meet 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 that rely on NASA data for wildfire management 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.”
Kate Calvin, NASA’s chief scientist and senior climate advisor, said, “NASA data powers resources across the US and around the world, helping communities prepare for a changing climate. The Earth Information Center benefits humanity by providing easily accessible and readily usable Earth information – helping people see our home planet the way NASA sees it.”
