The utility of EOS data for federal, state and regional government applications: prospects and challenges

NASA´s Earth Observation System (EOS) satellite data are contributing to the development of a variety of policy relevant remote sensing applications within State/Regional governments in the United States. The Synergy program is a NASA-funded activity designed to promote the use of EOS data and related remote sensing technologies for a variety of applications. Examples from the Synergy program indicate that EOS data are suitable for developing policy relevant applications in precision agriculture, management of natural resources, management of water resources, public health, urban planning and disaster management. There are however several barriers that need to be overcome before users outside the research community fully adopt these technologies. Some of the barriers include lack of awareness, experience and training by end users in these technologies, unproven cost benefits, and issues related to data formats, consistence and continuity.