NASA’s Earth Science Data Systems (ESDS) Program manages the full life cycle of Earth science data—from acquisition to processing, archiving, and distribution. It provides free and open access to data from NASA’s Earth-observing missions. ESDS also develops tools, standards, and partnerships to ensure data interoperability and accessibility for scientific research and societal benefit

Prerequisites:

• Capability to process EO data

• Procurement pathway

• Partner support as needed

• IT expertise and data policy (open by default preferred)

• Cybersecurity, data protection, and continuity planning

Cost:

• Ballpark: USD 10k–100k/yr

• Includes: data storage, IT/cloud infrastructure, data analytics

Timeframe:

• Overall: 6–12 mo

• Phase: scoping & identification of relevant datasets (1–3 mo), technical integration & access setup (2–4 mo), training & operationalisation (3–6 mo)

Pros:

• Cost Effectiveness - Improves allocation of financial resources, maximizing impact while minimizing waste

• Leveraging Open Resources - Free EO data often provides comprehensive coverage useful for monitoring large-scale phenomena like climate change

• Fomenting Development - Fosters the development of various applications by providing resources without financial constraints

Considerations:

• Limited customization - free data may not always meet user needs in terms of resolution, frequency or type of data

• Dependency - Reliant on external providers Security - Not suitable for uses requiring high security standards