Background
NASA's Commercial Satellite Data Acquisition (CSDA) program provides U.S. government scientists and funded partners with access to imagery from Planet, including PlanetScope and RapidEye. These constellations provide high spatial resolution imaging and increased temporal resolution when clear sky conditions prevail. The Satellite Needs Working Group (SNWG) 2022 assessment found that agencies would benefit from an uplifted End User License Agreement (EULA) to:
- Full U.S. government operational use
- Near real-time latency
Status
CSDA now provides Planet data access on a U.S. government EULA. 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. 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 | Horizontal Resolution | Geographic Domain | Spectral Bands |
|---|---|---|---|
| PlanetScope | ~3 m | Global | Red, Green, Blue (RGB), Near Infrared (NIR) |
Societal Impact
Access to high-resolution Planet data will allow agencies to more effectively monitor urban growth, transportation infrastructure conditions, and populations at risk to various hazards (e.g., dam failure).
Resources
For more information about accessing and using commercial data, visit the following resources:
- 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 in 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 how to get assistance with the NASA CSDA program's Planet datasets, services, and tools. | September 27, 2024 |