NASA’s Commercial Satellite Data Acquisition, or CSDA, program has finalized eight agreements with seven commercial providers to deliver multispectral and synthetic aperture radar, or SAR, data for Earth science research and applications.
The agency said Wednesday the agreements expand CSDA’s access to commercial data and enhance the quality and availability of Earth observation information for researchers.
“These new agreements will provide users with a range of high-quality multispectral and SAR data that can be used in a variety of applications from environmental monitoring to surface deformation,” said Dana Ostrenga, CSDA project manager. “In addition, they exemplify the CSDA Program’s commitment to acquiring data that enhances and supports the agency’s application and research objectives.”
What Do CSDA’s Agreements Cover?
NASA executed three agreements with Planet Labs, Airbus U.S. and Vantor to obtain near-global multispectral and pan-sharpened electro-optical imagery covering most of the world’s land and coastal areas. The datasets offer spatial resolutions ranging from approximately 30 centimeters to 10 meters and include top-of-atmosphere radiance and surface reflectance products across visible and near-infrared bands.
The CSDA program has expanded its Satellite Data Explorer, or SDX, platform to include three of Vantor’s Precision3D elevation products along with imagery from its Legion satellite archive, dating back to 1999.
Five agreements with Capella Space, ICEYE US, MDA Space, Umbra and Airbus U.S. provide high-resolution SAR imagery in multiple modes, including Spotlight and StripMap. The all-weather, day-night imaging supports monitoring of flooding, land deformation, sea ice movement and infrastructure impacts.
Who Can Access the Data?
Authorized NASA-funded investigators and designated collaborators may access the datasets under established End User License Agreements. Data will be available through the CSDA Satellite Data Explorer and related portals.
