S15E4: What “cloud-friendly” really means for Earth observation

2026-01-30

In this episode of Scene from Above, Julia Wagemann speaks with Aimee Barciauskas, Data Engineer at Development Seed, about what it actually takes to make Earth observation data usable at scale. For the past seven years, Aimee has worked closely with NASA’s IMPACT team, supporting the agency’s transition to cloud-native workflows. From initiatives like the Multi-Mission Algorithm and Analysis Platform (MAAP) to community-driven tooling and documentation, her work sits at the intersection of data engineering, open science, and real-world impact.

In this episode of Scene from Above, Julia Wagemann speaks with Aimee Barciauskas, Data Engineer at Development Seed, about what it actually takes to make Earth observation data usable at scale.

For the past seven years, Aimee has worked closely with NASA’s IMPACT team, supporting the agency’s transition to cloud-native workflows. From initiatives like the Multi-Mission Algorithm and Analysis Platform (MAAP) to community-driven tooling and documentation, her work sits at the intersection of data engineering, open science, and real-world impact.

Together, Julia and Aimee unpack:

What “cloud-friendly” really means (beyond storing data in the cloud)
The technical and cultural barriers teams still face
Why reproducibility is as much about habits as it is about tools
How frictionless workflows could shape the future of Earth science

A practical conversation for anyone working with large-scale geospatial data and thinking about how to move from experimentation to repeatable, shareable workflows.

Host: Julia Wagemann

Guest: Aimee Barciauskas (Development Seed)

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