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Earth Observations for Healthier Communities

Take a deep breath. It's easy to overlook the importance of the air we breathe and its effects on our health — but it's one thing our team is always focused on.

The Health & Air Quality program area provides policymakers with Earth observations to enhance decision-making about public health, with a special focus on environmental health and infectious diseases. We provide managers and policymakers with Earth observations that inform decisions about air quality standards, public policies and government regulations for economic and human welfare.

Get to Know Health & Air Quality


Our Focus

Health

Ebola outbreaks that spread throughout a community. Smoke inhalation that plagues a community and the surrounding areas. Algae blooms that turn toxic, creating a hazard for people, pets and wildlife. When these issues strike, our community jumps into action. We support the professionals out in the field and in the lab figuring out how to help keep people healthy.

Air Quality

Air is all around us, but it’s hard to see when harmful particulates are, too. That’s why we use NASA’s Earth-observing satellites to track air quality on our home planet. The data they generate are incorporated into products like the U.S. Air Quality Index the public uses to make decisions that protect their health and well-being.


Health & Air Quality Highlights

ApplicAtions Program Review

The 2020 NASA Health and Air Quality Applications Annual Team Meeting was held virtually on September 15 and 21, 2020. This was a mandatory annual review for all currently funded grants, interagency agreements, and contracts in the Health and Air Quality Applications portfolio.

View the 2020 Health & Air Quality Applications Program Review