Get Inspired:

Learn more about each story using the information and resources below!

Remember: Your comic MUST show the problem faced by community members; the NASA data, tool or solution; and the impact of the tool or solution on the local community!

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If you missed our launch webinar, don't worry!
A recording of the event featuring three of the NASA scientists and one of our fabulous comic artist finals judges to answer your questions about adapting these stories into comic artwork is available.
Additional Information & Contest Homepage

GOES-16 SATELLITE STALKS SMOKE

In the News:  Smoke Signals from Satellites
​Key Elements to include in artwork:
  • Problem - Summers are getting drier and wildfire seasons are getting worse and worse, making it more important than ever for first responders to be able to predict, detect, and track wildfires.
     
  • NASA Resources- NASA Applied Sciences Program’s Health & Air Quality program uses the geostationary (GOES-16) satellites and the GOFAST tool alongside the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) sensor onboard NASA’s Terra and Aqua satellites. Together they refine, constrain and fill in spatiotemporal gaps.
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  • Solution - A new tool that incorporates near real-time fire detection data from satellites to create hourly estimates of emissions to better track fire smoke as it billows into surrounding communities.​​

Air Quality Explorer Alerts Citizens
In the News:  Thailand Brings NASA Air Quality Data Down to Earth 
Key Elements to include in artwork: 
  • Problem - Air pollution is a serious problem around the world, and especially so in Thailand and the lower-Mekong River region of southeast Asia. Air pollution impacts human health and the climate. Monitoring and forecasting air pollution is important for finding solutions to curb pollution and mitigate its impacts.

  • NASA Resource - The Air Quality Explorer tool is developed in part of NASA Applied Sciences Program’s Capacity Building program area, and this new app combines NASA satellite data, model outputs, ground sensor data, and a machine learning algorithm to enable large-scale monitoring and forecasting of air quality for the first time in Thailand.
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  • Solution - The SERVIR-Mekong hub improved air pollution monitoring and forecasting  by creating the Air Quality Explorer tool for the region so people can check on air quality for their health.​

Aquaculture Future Sustained with NASA Data Maps

In the News:  NASA Satellites Help Plan Future for Palau Fish Stocks
Key Elements to include in artwork: 
  • Problem - The number of fish in the archipelago nation of Palau were dwindling - reef fisheries were expected to decline by up to 25% by 2050 due to climate change. Since the people of Palau are reliant on fishing to meet their local seafood supply, this put a strain on the local food supply and economy
  • NASA Resources - Multiple resources were used: the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) sensor onboard NASA’s Terra and Aqua satellites, Multi-scale Ultra-high Resolution (MUR) sea surface temperature analysis, and data from Landsat 8, a joint mission between NASA and the U.S. Geological Survey.
  • Solution - The local government, fishermen and community teamed up with The Nature Conservancy and used NASA data to produce interactive mapping tools Palauans now use to identify better areas for sustainable aquaculture to increase the local seafood supply.
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