NASA is known for exploring space, but the agency also keeps an eye on earth.

This week a senior executive of NASA will speak at Kansas University about what observations from space can tell us about the planet’s climate change.

Jack Kaye, the associate director for research in NASA’s Earth Science Division, will speak at 3 p.m. Wednesday at the Dole Institute of Politics, 2350 Petefish Drive.

NASA is using space-based remote sensing to gather information on the earth’s land masses, oceans, atmosphere, cryosphere and biosphere. The data gathered can help scientists understand the changing climate, its interaction with life and how human activities affect the environment, according to NASA’s website.

NASA is currently working on a project with KU’s Center for Remote Sensing of Ice Sheets.

The project, known as IceBridge, is a six-year mission that will use airplanes to create a three-dimensional view of the Arctic and Antarctic ice sheets, ice shelves and sea ice, according to NASA.

In 2009, a satellite gathering information on ice, clouds and land elevation stopped collecting data. Its replacement isn’t expected to launch until 2015.

The information gathered through the IceBridge project will fill the gap.

CReSIS is working on the radar instruments being used by the planes collecting data.

While Kaye will present a talk to CReSIS students and faculty that will be technically oriented, his discussion at the Dole Institute will be geared more toward the general public.