Beyond Exploration: NASA's Earth Observation Program and the History of Space Science

This talk explores how NASA's mission has expanded beyond exploration of distant planets to sustained observation of our own planet, tracing the history of Earth Observation at NASA from its early roots in space science to the development of today's expansive Earth Observation (EO) program. The talk will cover the scale and scope of EO today: a global system of satellites, sensors, and data infrastructures that monitor Earth's land, oceans, atmosphere, and cryosphere in near real time. These observations support a wide range of applications, from geology and archaeology to disaster response, climate modeling, and national and international decision-making. EO data now inform political leaders, planners, and practitioners, shaping how societies understand environmental change, manage risk, and plan for the future. The second part of the talk shifts to a more personal and human perspective on this work. Professor West will explain her role as a social scientist at NASA, and what it is like to work at the intersection of social science and Earth system science, helping scientists think about how their data are understood and used by people outside the research community -- from local practitioners to national decision-makers. West will reflect on both the challenges and the rewards of this role: learning to speak across disciplinary boundaries, building trust between different communities, and finding ways to connect Earth Observations to real-world decisions. Dr. Diana Kurkovsky West is the social science applications lead with NASA's EarthRISE Program at the University of Alabama in Huntsville. She works to make satellite data and geospatial tools meaningful for real-world questions by connecting them to local knowledge, community priorities, and lived experience.