After rigorous testing, NASA has officially approved the use of data from Satellogic’s NewSat constellation for scientific research, marking a significant step forward for the agency’s Commercial Satellite Data Acquisition program.
The story begins with a detailed assessment. NASA’s Earth Science Division, through their Commercial Satellite Data Acquisition (CSDA) program, enlisted a team of subject matter experts to meticulously evaluate the radiometric and geometric data produced by Satellogic’s NewSat constellation – specifically, the Mark IV and Mark V sensors. The team spent over four years analyzing data collected between 2021 and 2025, looking at how accurately the sensors measured reflected light across a range of locations. It's a painstaking process, essentially confirming whether the data is truly capturing the information scientists need to study things like vegetation health or atmospheric conditions.
The initial findings were encouraging. While there was some variation, the majority of the spectral bands within the NewSat data demonstrated remarkably accurate radiometric performance, frequently staying within 10% of NASA’s Aqua MODIS reference values – a benchmark of precision. Critically, the signal-to-noise ratios, which measure the clarity of the data, consistently met “Good” criteria for more than half of the analyzed bands. However, a slight difference was noted between the Mark IV and Mark V sensors, with the Mark IV achieving an "Excellent" rating for sensor spatial response and the Mark V receiving a “Basic” grade. This highlights the iterative nature of the program; a solid foundation was built, but with room for refinement.
Responding to the initial assessment, Satellogic has proactively adjusted their data processing techniques. This wasn't simply a reaction to criticism; it was a deliberate effort to directly address the recommendations offered by the NASA SMEs. The CSDA program is now undertaking a follow-up quality assessment of these revised products, ensuring the long-term reliability of the data. This constant feedback loop—NASA reviewing, Satellogic adapting—is core to the success of the CSDA program.
Ultimately, this approval represents a victory for collaboration and innovation within the Earth observation sector. The CSDA program’s structured approach, focused on criteria like data accessibility, metadata accuracy, and robust user support, is designed to rapidly integrate high-quality commercial data into NASA's research toolkit. The program itself is evolving, becoming more streamlined thanks to these SME-led assessments and fostering a dynamic partnership between NASA and the burgeoning private sector, driving accelerated scientific discovery and ultimately benefiting society as a whole.
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