Earthaccess

Abstract

1. Introduction

earthaccess is a python library to search for, and download or stream NASA Earth science data with just a few lines of code.

During several workshops organized by NASA Openscapes, the need to provide easy-to-use tools to our users became evident. Open science is a collaborative effort; it involves people from different technical backgrounds, and the data analysis to solve the pressing problems we face cannot be limited by the complexity of the underlying systems. Therefore, providing easy access to NASA Earthdata regardless of the data storage location (hosted within or outside of the cloud) is the main motivation behind this Python library.

2. Objective

Python Library for NASA Earthdata APIs

This project demonstrates how Python can be applied to a real-world Blockchain & Cloud Computing problem.

4. Technology Stack

• python-cmr — wraps NASA's Common Metadata
• asf_search — search and access
• icepyx — ICESat-2-specific search and access
• earthdatalogin — analogous
• fsspec / s3fs

5. System Requirements

General requirements for this technology stack — check the README for exact versions.

• Python 3.8 or later
• pip / virtualenv for dependencies
• VS Code, PyCharm or Jupyter Notebook
• Git (to clone the repository)

6. Installation & Setup

git clone https://github.com/earthaccess-dev/earthaccess.git
cd earthaccess

python -m pip install earthaccess

Full setup instructions are in the project README.

7. Future Enhancements

Suggested extensions you can add to make this your own project.

• Add a CI/CD pipeline with GitHub Actions
• Deploy to a public test network or cloud free tier
• Add monitoring and cost alerts

8. Viva / Review Questions

Common questions examiners ask for projects in this domain.

1. Why does this problem need a blockchain or cloud-native design?
2. Explain the smart contract / infrastructure components and how they interact.
3. How are gas costs or cloud costs kept under control?
4. How is the system secured (keys, IAM, access control)?
5. How would the solution scale to many more users?

9. Source Code & License

This project is developed by earthaccess-dev and published on GitHub under the MIT License. Please follow the license terms and credit the original author when you use or modify this code.