In recent years, there has been a global trend among governments to provide free and open access to data collected by Earth-observing satellites with the purpose of maximizing the use of this data for a broad array of research and applications. Yet, there are still significant challenges facing non-remote sensing specialists who wish to make use of satellite data. This commentary explores an illustrative case study to provide concrete examples of these challenges and barriers. We then discuss how the specific challenges faced within the case study illuminate some of the broader issues in data accessibility and utility that could be addressed by policymakers that aim to improve the reach of their data, increase the range of research and applications that it enables, and improve equity in data access and use.
