Every day, NASA satellites orbit the Earth and capture a wealth of information that helps us understand our planet. From monitoring wildfires to tracking climate change, this vast trove of geoscience data has the potential to drive scientific discovery, inform policy decisions and support industries such as agriculture, urban planning and disaster preparedness.
But navigating the over 100 petabytes of data collected can be challenging, which is why NASA has partnered with Microsoft to explore the use of a custom copilot using Azure OpenAI Service to develop NASA’s Earth Copilot, which could transform how humans interact with Earth’s data.
Geospatial data is complex and often requires a degree of technical expertise to navigate it. As a result, these data tend to be available only to a limited number of researchers and scientists. As NASA collects more data from new satellites, these complexities only grow and may further limit the potential pool of people able to draw insights and develop applications that can benefit society.
Recognizing this challenge, NASA embarked on a mission to make its data more accessible and user-friendly. Through NASA’s Office of the Chief Science Data Officer, the agency seeks to democratize data access by breaking down technical barriers to empower a wide range of audiences, from scientists and educators to policymakers and the general public.
The challenge: Navigating the complexity of the data
NASA’s Earth Science Data Systems Program is responsible for collecting an incredible array of data from spaceborne sensors and instruments. This data spans everything from atmospheric conditions to land cover changes, ocean temperatures and more. However, the sheer volume and complexity of this information can be overwhelming. For many, finding and extracting insights requires navigating technical interfaces, understanding data formats, and mastering the intricacies of geospatial analysis—specialized skills that very few non-technical users possess. AI could streamline this process, reducing the time to gain insights from Earth data to a matter of seconds.
This issue is not just a matter of convenience; it has real-world implications. For example, researchers who need to analyze historical data on hurricanes to improve predictive models, or policymakers who want to study deforestation patterns to implement environmental regulations, may not be able to easily access the data they need. This inaccessibility affects a wide range of sectors, including agriculture, urban planning and disaster preparedness, where timely insights from spaceborne data can make a significant difference.
Moreover, as new satellites with new instruments continue to launch and collect more data, NASA constantly faces the challenge of building new tools to manage and make sense of this growing repository. The agency explored new technologies that could not only streamline data discovery but also expand accessibility, allowing more people to engage with the data and uncover new insights.
The solution: AI-powered data access via Microsoft Azure
To address these challenges, NASA IMPACT worked with Microsoft to develop an AI-powered customer copilot, called Earth Copilot, that could simplify data access and encourage a wider range of users to interact with its Earth Science data. Together, they built the proof of concept AI model that leverages Microsoft’s Azure cloud platform and advanced AI capabilities to transform how users can search, discover and analyze NASA geospatial data.
The key to NASA’s Earth Copilot lies in the integration of cloud-based technologies such as Azure OpenAI Service, which provides access to powerful AI models and natural language processing capabilities that enable developers to integrate intelligent, conversational AI into their applications. This approach allows NASA to integrate AI into its existing data analysis platform – VEDA. Together, these technologies make it easier for users to search, discover, and analyze geoscience data
By combining these technologies, Earth Copilot allows users to interact with NASA’s data repository through common queries. Instead, they can simply ask questions like “What was the impact of Hurricane Ian on Sanibel Island?” or “How did the COVID-19 pandemic affect air quality in the United States?” AI will then retrieve relevant data sets, making the process seamless and intuitive.
“Azure’s robust suite of services, including machine learning, data analytics and scalable cloud infrastructure, power this AI prototype,” said Juan Carlos López, former NASA engineer and current Azure specialist at Microsoft. “We designed the system to handle complex queries and large data sets efficiently, ensuring that users can quickly find the information they need without being tied down by technical complexities. Our goal was to create a seamless, scalable solution, that could evolve as NASA’s data, tools and applications grow.”
Democratizing data for open science
The collaboration between NASA IMPACT and Microsoft has resulted in a solution that democratizes access to spaceborne data, enabling a wider range of users to engage with NASA science data. This has significant benefits for the scientific community, as researchers can now spend less time on data retrieval and more on analysis and discovery. For example, climate scientists can quickly access historical data to study trends, while agricultural experts can gain insight into soil moisture levels to improve crop management.
Educators and teachers can use real-world examples to engage students in earth science, foster curiosity, and encourage the next generation of scientists and engineers. Policy makers can leverage the data to make informed decisions on critical issues such as climate change, urban development and disaster preparedness, ensuring they have the most accurate information at their fingertips.
“The vision behind this collaboration was to leverage AI and cloud technologies to bring Earth’s insights to underserved communities, where access to data can lead to tangible improvements,” said Minh Nguyen, Cloud Solution Architect at Microsoft. “By enabling users to interact with the data through simple, plain language queries, we are helping to democratize access to spaceborne information.”
The development of this AI prototype aligns with NASA’s Open Science initiative, which aims to make scientific research more transparent, inclusive and collaborative. By removing barriers to data discovery, NASA and Microsoft are setting the stage for a new era of discovery where insights are not limited to a select few, but can be explored and expanded by anyone curious about the world.
Looking ahead: Bridging data and insight
Currently, NASA Earth Copilot is available for NASA scientists and researchers to explore and test its capabilities. Any responsible implementation of AI technologies requires rigorous assessments to ensure that data and output cannot be misused. After a period of internal evaluations and testing, the NASA IMPACT team will investigate the integration of this capability into the VEDA platform.
This collaboration is an example of how technology can empower people, drive innovation and create positive change. Solutions like this will be critical to ensuring the benefits of data are shared widely, enabling more people to engage with, analyze and act on information that shapes our world.