Background
NASA’s Commercial Satellite Data Acquisition (CSDA) program provides United States government-affiliated scientists and funded partners with access to imagery from several commercial observation platforms, including Planet. These constellations of imagers have often provided higher spatial resolution imaging, and greater temporal resolution when clear sky conditions prevail. In 2024, CSDA licensing agreements expanded to broaden the applicability for scientific applications across the U.S. Government and other authorities within the U.S.
Status: Available Now
Based on recommendations from the Satellite Needs Working Group (SNWG), NASA CSDA continues to provide U.S. federal civil agencies, including National Science Foundation (NSF)-affiliated scientists and funded research partners, access to Planet imagery through the current Expanded Planet End User License Agreement (EULA). This provides access for scientific, non-commercial use with a 30-day delay for PlanetScope and RapidEye. NASA does not intend to include SkySat. Planet will provide low-latency imagery with justifications, i.e., disaster response.
Characteristics
| Platforms | Horizontal Resolution | Geographic Domain | Spectral Bands |
|---|---|---|---|
| PlanetScope, RapidEye | ~ 3 m | Global | Red, Green, Blue (RGB), Near Infrared (NIR) |
Societal Impact
Improved access to data products from commercial systems, reduced latency acquisitions, and improved derivation of new research and operational products would enable new opportunities for research across thematic areas. Planet high-resolution and stereo imagery have many applications including mapping trees and canopy elevation, monitoring land cover characteristics and change, infrastructure, and shoreline change.
Resources
A number of relevant training resources are aggregated into the following categories below: Fundamentals of Remote Sensing, Missions and Instruments, Data Products and Descriptions, Data Access and Code Examples, and Use Case and Application Examples. Information on workshops and open meetings are also included. The resources below are for the Broader Access to Planet Data activity. For more information about accessing commercial data, visit the CSDA Program and the CSDA Satellite Data Explorer.