ESA has introduced an online tool designed to make satellite science easier to find and understand through everyday questions. You can now ask ESA’s Earth Virtual Expert a question about satellites and follow the answer back to the science behind it. The online assistant is designed to make Earth observation information easier to find and understand.
Known as EVE, the tool was introduced by ESA on 8 October. It lets people ask questions in ordinary language, drawing on material that would otherwise be spread across research papers, mission websites and technical documents. It is aimed at a broad audience, including researchers, policymakers, journalists and people who are simply curious. Questions might explore how satellites monitor greenhouse gases, or what observations can tell us about changes in vegetation.
A useful feature is the connection between an answer and its supporting material. The project provides a system that searches relevant documents and supplies citations, giving readers a route into the underlying science.
EVE currently works with text, much like other ubiquitous AI chatbots. ESA plans to add capabilities for finding and presenting satellite imagery in 2027, alongside further development of its data analysis features. The model, code and supporting resources are also publicly available for people who want to explore how it works.
For someone coming to Earth observation from another field, a question can be a more welcoming starting point than a catalogue of missions or datasets. EVE offers a chance to follow that curiosity, find relevant sources and get a clearer sense of what satellites can tell us.
The assistant is available through the EVE project website – https://eve.philab.esa.int/
