A NASA profile published Aug. 26, 2026 describes how Lindsey Jacobson, a Pathways engineering intern, supports planning for NASA's Earth-observing satellite missions through the NASA Earth Science Strategic Integration Environment (NESSIE) team. The team works within the Systems Analysis and Concepts Directorate at NASA's Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, and supports a portfolio of dozens of missions measuring features such as aerosols, sea levels, land cover and cloud cover.

According to the profile, Jacobson builds analysis tools intended to give the team a "foresight ability": anticipating where a mission delay or on-orbit event could leave gaps in the data that scientific and operational communities rely on, and preparing options for senior leaders in advance. She describes the approach as comparable to stocking sandbags and storm shutters before hurricane season, so responses are ready before a warning comes. Missions sometimes outlast their planned lifespans, she notes, which can also create room to extend their value.

Jacobson, who has returned to NASA Langley each summer since 2022 while completing a mechanical engineering dissertation at North Carolina State University, said the field's changing landscape, including commercial data contributions and new space agencies, demands adaptability. The profile also notes her 2025 IEEE Aerospace Conference presentation on managing Earth-observing mission portfolios.