Background
Agencies could benefit from operational products derived from commercial Planet data, such as high-resolution change detection, the delineation of submerged aquatic vegetation, and many other applications. Such efforts were limited by license conditions that permitted only the scientific research use of Planet data.
Status: Available Now
The Commercial Satellite Data Acquisition (CSDA) program now provides Planet data access on a United States government End User License Agreement (EULA) based on recommendations from the Satellite Needs Working Group (SNWG). NASA will not prohibit agency usage of the data if it abides by the EULA requirements (i.e., non-commercial use), including the production of new products to support decision-making.
Under current budgetary restraints, NASA is unable to support a lower latency product, although low-latency Planet imagery may be requested with justifications (i.e., disaster response). A new task order was awarded in November 2025 for continued access to the data.
Characteristics
| Platforms | Geographic Domain |
|---|---|
| PlanetScope | Global |
Societal Impact
Planet data would facilitate operational products to include improving land cover maps for the monitoring of habitats and species (endangered and invasive). It would also support soil moisture mapping for agricultural risk management and response.
Resources
For more information about accessing and using commercial data, visit the following resources:
- CSDA Datasets available via Earthdata Search
- CSDA Program
- CSDA Satellite Data Explorer
- Commercial Datasets available via NASA's CSDA program
- Planet Publications
- Commercial Satellite Data Acquisition Program Activities
Workshops and Open Meetings
| Title and Registration Link | Description | Date |
|---|---|---|
| NASA CSDA Program Vendor Focus - Planet | NASA's Earth Science Division (ESD) established the CSDA program to explore the potential of commercial satellite data for advancing the agency's Earth science research and application objectives. The program aims to identify, assess, and acquire data from commercial providers, which may offer a cost-effective means of supplementing Earth observations collected by NASA, other U.S. Government agencies, and international collaborators. During this NASA CSDA program vendor webinar, speakers introduced Planet and the company's constellations of Earth observation satellites; showed participants how to discover, access, and work with these data; and spoke about how these data products complement NASA Earth science data holdings for research and applications. Additional talks focused on services available to data users and on how to get assistance with the NASA CSDA program's Planet datasets, services, and tools. | September 27, 2024 |