NASA’s Harmonized Landsat and Sentinel-2 dataset is now accessible through Microsoft’s Planetary Computer, expanding global access to high-resolution Earth observation data and accelerating research in climate science, land use and environmental monitoring.
Table of Contents
What Is the HLS Dataset?
The HLS dataset combines imagery from NASA’s Landsat 8 and 9 missions and the European Space Agency’s Sentinel-2 satellites, harmonized to provide consistent, surface-reflectance measurements every two to three days. The result is a unified, cloud-optimized dataset that supports monitoring of Earth’s surface changes, from deforestation and agriculture to coastal resilience and urban expansion.
Why Make It Available on Microsoft Azure?
Hosting the HLS data on Microsoft Azure enables users to access, process and analyze petabyte-scale imagery without the need to download it locally. Through the Planetary Computer platform, researchers can integrate HLS data with Azure AI, machine learning and high-performance computing tools to perform advanced analysis and develop predictive environmental models at scale.
How Can Researchers Use the Data?
With HLS data now integrated into the Azure ecosystem, users can:
- Automate land cover classification and vegetation monitoring
- Detect urban development and deforestation trends
- Train AI models to forecast environmental patterns
- Build geospatial applications that visualize changes over time
The cloud-based accessibility of the dataset is expected to help scientists, educators and policymakers accelerate research and decision-making on issues such as climate change, urban planning and natural disaster preparedness.
How Does Earth Copilot Fit In?
Microsoft has developed Earth Copilot, a conversational AI tool that allows users to query NASA’s data using plain language. Researchers can ask questions like “What was the impact of Hurricane Ian on Sanibel Island?” or “How did the COVID-19 pandemic affect air quality in the U.S.?” and receive relevant datasets instantly.
According to Microsoft, Earth Copilot showcases how Azure’s AI and data analytics tools can make complex geospatial data more accessible for educators, innovators and environmental professionals.
Related Articles
Steve Shinn, NASA’s deputy chief financial officer and acting CFO, has stepped down from his role to join The Aerospace Corp. as vice president and CFO. Greg Autry, the nominee for the CFO position at NASA, announced Shinn’s departure from the space agency and his new role at the nonprofit corporation. According to his profile on Aerospace’s website, Shinn will oversee the corporation’s accounting, finance, treasury and other business processes. He will help modernize business functions and financial tools to deliver on critical misions of government and commercial customers. Who Is Steve Shinn? As acting CFO at NASA, Shinn oversaw
The Indian Health Service has named Clayton Fulton as its new chief of staff. Fulton, a citizen of the Cherokee Nation who was raised in Indian country, will support the Office of the Director in implementing IHS initiatives and priorities. IHS is an agency within the Department of Health and Human Services responsible for providing federal health services to American Indians and Alaska Natives. Leaders from government and industry will be present at Potomac Officers Club’s 2025 Healthcare Summit on Dec. 4 to discuss the most pressing issues in federal healthcare, including the integration of advanced technologies. Benjamin Koshy, chief
Brig. Gen. Cain Baker, director of the Future Vertical Lift Cross Functional Team at U.S. Army Futures Command, said the service plans to expand its portfolio of autonomous air platforms with a collaborative combat aircraft-like capability that could be deployed within the next two years, Breaking Defense reported Friday. “That has been a focus for the last … really year,” Baker told reporters Wednesday at the annual AUSA conference in Washington, D.C. “As we go forward, we’re watching closely in our experimentation to develop a full requirement, potentially to deliver our capability over the next couple of years.” How Is