COVID-19 has not stopped NASA Earth science data from reaching users. The Earth Observing System Data and Information System (EOSDIS) was able to continue processing and distributing many terabytes of data each month even though NASA centers closed and almost all staff had to shift to remote work. Two of the twelve NASA Distributed Active Archive Centers (DAACs)—the Alaska Satellite Facility DAAC (ASF DAAC) operated by the University of Alaska and the Socioeconomic Data and Applications Center (SEDAC) operated by Columbia University's Center for International Earth Science Information Network (CIESIN)—have adapted to the changing work environment.
CIESIN director Robert Chen, who has served as SEDAC's manager for more than 20 years, noted that this is not the first time that SEDAC has faced major disruptions (9/11 in 2001 and Superstorm Sandy in 2012). Among other efforts, SEDAC has worked to increase virtualization of its systems to strengthen flexibility and reliability.
NASA recently exercised another option year in CIESIN's contract to continue operating SEDAC (through July 2021). CIESIN received an "exceptional" performance rating from NASA for the option year that ended in July 2020.