Hello there!


Welcome to our August Recap Newsletter! In this issue, we are bringing you the latest updates and insights from the NASA Acres Consortium.

August Spotlight

Left image: The Finger Lakes region as seen by AVIRIS-3. Photo by Dr. Holly Bender, NASA Joint Propulsion Laboratory.

Right image: Ithaca Research Farm, Ithaca, NY, viewable at the AVIRIS4ACRES Data Portal, and more information at the Cornell University Agricultural Experiment Station website.

#AVIRIS4ACRES: NASA Acres-funded Research Takes Flight Over NY Farms


Thousands of acres spanning Cornell's research facilities and commercial vineyards in the Finger Lakes and Lake Erie regions were photographed this summer using hyperspectral imaging from NASA aircraft carrying AVIRIS-3 sensors. This cutting-edge technology captures crop stress signatures that could revolutionize early disease detection in specialty crops, potentially saving growers millions in losses before problems become visible to the naked eye.

Announcements

NASA Acres Farm Innovation Ambassador Team


The NASA Acres Farm Innovation Ambassador Team (FIAT) aims to unite farmer members and NASA Acres researchers in the development and use of satellite Earth observation (EO) data, products and models to support producers in their decision-making processes. This aligns with NASA Acres' mission to create impactful, science-based tools for the benefit of U.S. agriculture.

NASA Acres in the News

Congratulations to NASA Acres RD&E partner, Dr. Katie Gold for being recognized as a "Via Satellite" Rising Star of 2025!


A study authored by NASA Acres RD&E partner Dr. Sergii Skakun reveals that selecting the ‘best’ land cover map using satellite data based solely on overall accuracy scores can lead to inefficient land area estimation. The research provides actionable guidance for map producers to optimize algorithms based on specific objectives.


A study in Nature Sustainability co-authored by NASA Acres RD&E partners Dr. David Lobell, Dr. Yuichi Ma, and NASA Acres Chief Scientist, Dr. Kaiyu Guan. Using data for over 100,000 fields, they reveal positive and negative impacts of cover cropping. Additionally, they show that adjusting planting timing could cut yield penalties for corn and soybeans.

Ray Flickner, a Steering Committee member of the NASA Acres Farm Innovation Ambassador Team (FIAT), was recognized as a 2025 Strip-Till Innovator. Ray owns and operates the Flickner Innovation Farm which hosts 10-15 research trials annually. See his farming innovations in action by checking out this 6-part 2025 Strip-Till Farmer Strip-Till Innovator video series.

Events

Space Apps Challenge


Registration for the 2025 NASA #SpaceApps Challenge is now open! 🌍🚀💫


Be a part of the largest annual global hackathon, where you can use open data from #NASA and space-based data from 14 Space Agency Partners to address real-world challenges. Register and choose from 450+ Local Events today!

Jobs Openings

The position will support a project that aims to advance a critical institutional analysis of Monitoring, Reporting and Verification (MRV) applied to GHG emissions reductions in agriculture as part of our U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA Acres)-funded project on carbon governance and digital agriculture. This person will conduct research on emerging developments in remote sensing, computer science, biogeochemistry, carbon governance, and finance that support visions of cost-effective and reliable “natural climate solutions”.

Miscellaneous

The Group on Earth Observations (GEO) Health Community of Practice is a global network of governments, organizations, and observers, which seeks to use environmental observations to improve health decision-making at the international, regional, country, and district levels. The team promotes the One Health framework and supports six Work Groups – air quality, animal health, food security and safety, heat, health care infrastructure, and infectious diseases – that help build bridges between the Earth and health science communities. They organize Work Group projects, student engagement activities, community teleconferences with scientific presentations, and collaborative publications (including GEO blog articles and white papers). 

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