Planetary surveying is the profession of assessing and documenting the potential of a planet. Usually enacted upon initial discovery, surveyors map and catalog the planet's natural resources, and create recommendations that will determine the terraforming possibility of a planet, evaluate the planet's potential economic value, and identify prime settlement areas.
Planetary surveyors use a mix of physics, engineering, astronomical and geological science, and applied technique to achieve their tasks. A surveyor must also be familiar with law in addition to their many other skills. Once a planet is surveyed, a surveyor usually continues in their work with the cooperation of a terraforming team or corporate and governmental concerns.