Building Foresight for Earth Science: Lindsey Jacobson's Role in NASA

NASA's Earth-observing satellite missions diligently track numerous planetary changes, including aerosols, sea levels, land cover, and cloud cover, over extended periods. Maintaining the integrity of this crucial data for scientific and operational users necessitates more than just engineering expertise. It requires proactive planning for an uncertain future, anticipating potential disruptions like mission delays or on-orbit events that could create data gaps.

Lindsey Jacobson's work is instrumental in helping NASA foresee and manage these potential disruptions. As a Pathways intern in engineering, Jacobson contributes to NASA's Earth Science Division through the NASA Earth Science Strategic Integration Environment (NESSIE) team. This team operates within the Systems Analysis and Concepts Directorate (SACD) at NASA's Langley Research Center. NASA's Pathways program offers internships to undergraduate and graduate students, providing a potential route to full-time civil service positions upon satisfactory performance. Jacobson has been a recurring intern at NASA Langley since 2022, balancing her time at the center with her mechanical engineering dissertation work at North Carolina State University.

Jacobson and the NESSIE team support NASA's comprehensive portfolio of Earth science satellites. These missions, numbering in the dozens, are designed to measure specific planetary characteristics, from cloud formations to sea surface temperatures and land usage. The primary objective is to deliver consistent data products to end-user communities. However, the inherent unpredictability of space missions presents a significant challenge.

"There is inherent uncertainty regarding mission lifespans, potential on-orbit events, and scheduling," Jacobson explains. The team's efforts aim to equip NASA's senior leadership with the means to navigate this uncertainty. This involves identifying potential gaps in data coverage and devising strategies to mitigate or counteract them. By offering alternative approaches to meet end-user requirements, this work empowers senior leaders to effectively manage a complex and interconnected mission portfolio.

Within this framework, Jacobson's primary focus is on developing analytical tools that provide the team with what she terms "foresight ability."

"This is the capacity to anticipate various potential scenarios—changes that could occur across the spectrum of Earth-observing missions—and to have pre-established strategies for responding, thereby ensuring the continuous delivery of data to end users," she states.

Not all anticipated changes represent negative outcomes. Missions sometimes exceed their projected operational lifespans, allowing for extended data collection. Regardless of whether a modification is beneficial or requires adjustment, the fundamental principle remains the same: understanding the available options in advance. Jacobson draws a parallel to preparing for hurricane season: "You install storm shutters, purchase sandbags, and have them readily available. Then, when a warning is issued, you're not in a frantic rush, nor are you at risk of stores running out of supplies. You already have what you need in place." The NESSIE team applies this same proactive logic to the Earth-observing portfolio by understanding the potential impact of disruptions and having a suite of responses prepared beforehand.

"We proactively propose strategies and alternatives that can be implemented in the event of a change," Jacobson notes. "We do this in advance so that stakeholders are aware of the potential options."

Her approach draws inspiration from her graduate research, which explores how complex, unalterable systems—like the electric grid—require deliberate evolution. "We designed a grid, and we continue to operate with that grid indefinitely," she explains. "We cannot dismantle it and construct a new one. Instead, we can modify, expand, and enhance what we currently possess." This emphasis on working with existing structures rather than starting from scratch significantly shapes her contributions at NASA.

Engineers new to NASA might assume the technical aspects of the job are the most demanding. However, Jacobson found that the dynamic nature of the field requires the greatest adaptability.

"The way we conduct Earth science is evolving," she observes. Commercial entities are increasingly contributing data alongside governmental agencies. New space organizations are emerging in the field, and innovative technologies and architectures are constantly being developed. Keeping pace with these shifts—understanding how NASA's capabilities are advancing and how best to serve the communities relying on the data—is an integral part of the job, as significant as any technical calculation.

This adaptability is also evident in smaller innovations, such as the growing integration of AI tools into the team's workflow. "Langley has been at the forefront of many innovations," Jacobson remarks, referencing a sentiment expressed by Trina Dyal, NASA Langley's director, at a recent intern event. "And we are committed to maintaining that pioneering spirit. This involves continuous learning and discovering how to incorporate new advancements into our operational practices."

On Jacobson's Sci-Fi Shelf

The Sirens of Titan by Kurt Vonnegut

Jacobson received this novel in high school, but it remained unread on her shelf for years until she finally picked it up during the pandemic.

"It was profoundly impactful. It delves deeply into the meaning of life, which resonates with some of the initial motivations behind my interest in space. The notion that space exploration can unite humanity. That cosmic perspective."