Christina Moats-Xavier

Collecting Data with a Mission
Data is at the heart of everything we do in NASA Applied Sciences. NASA Earth missions collect data about our planet.
Mission data enables organizations worldwide to take action and advance research. NASA Applied Sciences connects researchers and end users with Earth observations, often in the form of applications. Applications are a user-friendly and often innovative way people can use mission data to benefit society.
Mission Engagement works with mission teams throughout the mission lifecycle to:
The Early Adopter program invites organizations to collaborate with mission teams. They gain access to proxy data before a mission launches. The feedback they provide helps missions improve data collection post-launch. This relationship helps everyone benefit from mission data and applications.
Applications provide a user-friendly way for people to use mission data for decision-making. They may take the form of a map, website tool, visualized data set, etc. End users and their use of Earth data define an Applied Sciences application; they are individuals or organizations who use information to inform their decision-making. Applied Sciences data help to predict crop yields, identify flood risks, track wildland fires, and more.
As a NASA mission considering an Early Adopter program to address real-world challenges, you’ll learn about the benefits of the program and how to get started. You'll receive feedback and insights from your Early Adopters as you develop your mission and learn how the data will help address real-world challenges. For more about NASA’s Early Adopter program, view our interactive or PDF Early Adopter Handbook below.
The Earth Science Applications Guidebook is a web-based, multimedia product synthesizing best practices and lessons learned on the use of Earth science information for decision-making. Dive into this guide to explore decades of experience in Earth science applications with specific, practical tips and insights from scientists at universities, state and federal agencies, private companies, and NASA. Directly apply learnings from the guidebook to your own work and find new approaches to solving pressing problems and improving people’s lives here on Earth.
Our leadership brings more than 30 years of expertise in engineering and program management to NASA's mission engagement efforts. We connect the planning of NASA Missions with Applied Sciences' mission to give decision-makers access to Earth observations.