2026. January 23.
BME Researchers To Validate for NASA
BME and NASA Sign Cooperation Agreement to Improve the Accuracy of Satellite-Based Soil Moisture Data
Budapest University of Technology and Economics (BME) has signed a cooperation agreement with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to support the validation of satellite-based soil moisture measurements. The agreement represents an important step in strengthening international scientific collaboration and contributes to a better understanding of environmental processes related to climate change.
The professional lead of the research collaboration is Zsófia Kugler, Head of the Department of Photogrammetry and Geoinformatics at the Faculty of Civil Engineering, BME. She has previously worked several times as a visiting researcher at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) and has also conducted research in the United States as a Fulbright Scholar. The project focuses on comparing satellite observations with ground-based reference measurements in order to improve the accuracy of global soil moisture datasets.
Soil moisture is a key parameter in weather and hydrological models, drought monitoring, and agricultural and water management decision support systems. The professional contribution of BME helps ensure that satellite-derived data can be used more reliably in both scientific research and practical applications.
The cooperation is expected to form the basis of a long-term research partnership, opening the door to further joint projects and international scientific programs. The agreement also demonstrates the active role of the Faculty of Civil Engineering at BME in global environmental and climate-related research efforts.
