Building Strategic Foresight for NASA's Earth Science Missions

• The NASA Earth Science Strategic Integration Environment (NESSIE) team develops foresight strategies to maintain continuous Earth observation data despite orbital or scheduling uncertainties.
• Lindsey Jacobson, a mechanical engineering PhD candidate and NASA Pathways intern, is building analytical tools to help senior leaders mitigate potential mission gaps.

Managing Portfolio Uncertainty

• NASA tracks dozens of Earth features—from cloud cover to sea levels—through a complex, interdependent portfolio of missions.
• Unpredictable factors like mission lifespans and launch delays necessitate proactive planning; Jacobson’s team models these scenarios to provide mitigation options before disruptions occur.

Strategic Methodology

• Jacobson likens the team's work to preparing for hurricane season: pre-positioning resources and strategies so that decision-makers are not caught off guard by unexpected events.
• Her approach mirrors her graduate research on the evolution of complex, immovable infrastructure like electrical grids, focusing on incremental expansion rather than starting from scratch.

Adapting to an Evolving Landscape

• The Earth science sector is shifting due to the emergence of commercial data providers, new international space agencies, and innovative satellite architectures.
• To maintain its leadership in the field, the team at NASA’s Langley Research Center is integrating modern tools, including AI, to remain agile and address the changing needs of the scientific community.