CSDA Quality Assessment Report Evaluates Satellogic NewSat Data

The report adds to the growing documentation on commercial data’s contributions to Earth science research and applications.more
https://science.nasa.gov/uncategorized/csda-quality-assessment-report-evaluates-satellogic-newsat-data/

CSDA Quality Assessment Report Evaluates Satellogic NewSat Data

A new quality assessment report from NASA’s Commercial Satellite Data Acquisition (CSDA) program approves the use of data from Satellogic’s NewSat constellation, which includes the Mark IV and Mark V sensor generations, for scientific use.

Issued March 9, 2026, the Commercial Satellite Data Acquisition Program Satellogic NewSat Radiometric & Geometric Quality Assessment Report documents the evaluation process of the NASA subject matter experts (SMEs) enlisted to analyze the quality of the constellation’s radiometric and geometric data products.

The SMEs analyzed 60 top-of-atmosphere reflectance images collected between 2021 and 2025, focusing on radiometric and geometric performance across multiple sites. Results showed generally strong radiometric accuracy, with the majority of spectral bands performing within 10% of Aqua MODIS reference values and signal-to-noise ratios meeting “Good” rating criteria for more than half of the bands. Geometric performance exceeded their specified sensor spatial response specifications, with some variability noted between sensor generations. (The Mark IV received an “Excellent” grade for sensor spatial response while the Mark V received a “Basic” grade.)

Since the release of the report, Satellogic has changed aspects of their data processing, in part to address findings and recommendations in the report. CSDA is engaged in a quality assessment of their revised products and will report on the results in the near future.

About the CSDA Program

NASA’s Earth Science Division (ESD) established the CSDA program to identify, evaluate, and acquire commercial remote sensing data that enhances NASA’s Earth science research and applications. CSDA provides structured on-ramping opportunities for emerging commercial satellite data vendors, enabling NASA to continuously integrate innovative data sources as the private sector evolves. By leveraging these partnerships, NASA’s ESD aims to accelerate scientific discovery and expand applications of Earth observation data for the NASA Earth science research and applications community and societal benefit.

Since its initial pilot, the CSDA Program has conducted three on-ramp activities, resulting in the addition of several vendors into sustainment. Since then, the program has streamlined its evaluation process by introducing high-quality, SME-led data assessments, accelerating reviews and strengthening NASA’s engagement with the rapidly growing commercial data ecosystem. The CSDA’s evaluation criteria include:

• Accessibility of data
• Completeness and accuracy of metadata
• User support services provided by the commercial entity
• Usefulness of submitted data for science and applications

This approach ensures NASA gains timely access to high-quality, mission-relevant commercial data, and provides valuable feedback to private-sector providers, fostering innovation, improved data products, and alignment of industry capabilities with NASA’s evolving scientific needs.

Resources

To read the CSDA’s Satellogic NewSat Radiometric & Geometric Quality Assessment Report, visit the CSDA website.

View the recent CSDA Vendor Focus Webinar on Satellogic on the CSDA program’s YouTube channel.

For more information about the CSDA program’s process for identifying commercial satellite vendors for on-ramp and evaluation, visit the CSDA website.

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https://science.nasa.gov/uncategorized/csda-quality-assessment-report-evaluates-satellogic-newsat-data/

Webinar 4/29: NASA CSDA Program Vendor Focus- MDA Space

Join us April 29 at 2:00 p.m. EDT to learn more about CSDA program vendor MDA Space.more
https://science.nasa.gov/science-research/earth-science/webinar-4-29-nasa-csda-program-vendor-focus-mda-space/

Webinar 4/29: NASA CSDA Program Vendor Focus- MDA Space

NASA’s Earth Science Division (ESD) established the Commercial Satellite Data Acquisition (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 will introduce MDA Space and the company’s satellite constellation; show participants how to discover, access, and work with these satellite C-band synthetic aperture radar (SAR) products; and speak to how these data products complement NASA Earth science data holdings for research and applications. Additional topics will focus on the services available to data users and getting assistance with the NASA CSDA program vendor MDA Space datasets, services, and tools.

For information and to Register

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https://science.nasa.gov/science-research/earth-science/webinar-4-29-nasa-csda-program-vendor-focus-mda-space/

NASA Artemis II Human Research Data Methodology Challenge

NASA’s Human Research Program (HRP) uses research to develop methods to protect the health and performance of astronauts in space. In support of NASA’s goals for long-term missions on the surface of the Moon and human exploration of Mars, HRP is using ground research facilities, the International Space Station, and analog environments to monitor human health in deep space.  NASA’s Artemis II mission was the first […]more
https://www.nasa.gov/directorates/stmd/prizes-challenges-crowdsourcing-program/center-of-excellence-for-collaborative-innovation-coeci/nasa-artemis-ii-human-research-data-methodology-challenge/

NASA Artemis II Human Research Data Methodology Challenge

NASA’s Human Research Program (HRP) uses research to develop methods to protect the health and performance of astronauts in space. In support of NASA’s goals for long-term missions on the surface of the Moon and human exploration of Mars, HRP is using ground research facilities, the International Space Station, and analog environments to monitor human health in deep space. 

NASA’s Artemis II mission was the first crewed mission to the vicinity of the Moon since Apollo 17 in December 1972. The mission carried four astronauts aboard the Orion spacecraft on a trajectory into deep space – farther than any humans have gone before – marking a pivotal milestone in the history of human exploration. For the first time in more than half a century, human beings experienced the full physiological and psychological conditions of space travel beyond low Earth orbit, including an environment with space radiation, the isolation and confinement of a new spacecraft, and the operational demands of a test mission profile. 

For HRP, Artemis II represents an irreplaceable research opportunity. The data collected from the four-person crew will expand an existing body of knowledge built primarily from missions in low Earth orbit, extending it into the deep space environment. It will provide direct measurements of how the human body responds to conditions that ground-based simulation cannot fully replicate. 

The unique dataset will also present a profound analytical challenge. Though the sample size is only four subjects, the data will span multiple physiological systems, data modalities, and time points. That combination is what the NASA Artemis II Human Research Data Methodology Challenge seeks to address.

Award: $25,000 in total prizes

Challenge Open Date: March 30, 2026

Submission Close Date: June 5, 2026

For more information, visit: https://hrpdatachallenge.org/

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https://www.nasa.gov/directorates/stmd/prizes-challenges-crowdsourcing-program/center-of-excellence-for-collaborative-innovation-coeci/nasa-artemis-ii-human-research-data-methodology-challenge/

NASA, OPM Announce New NASA Force Website, Open Job Applications 

NASA and the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) launched the NASA Force website on Friday, opening applications for roles aimed at recruiting the nation’s top engineers and technologists to support America’s air and space program.  NASA Force, a new hiring initiative developed in partnership with OPM, will recruit and place high-impact technical talent into mission-critical roles supporting NASA’s exploration, research, and advanced technology priorities, […]more
https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/nasa-opm-announce-new-nasa-force-website-open-job-applications/

NASA, OPM Announce New NASA Force Website, Open Job Applications 

NASA and the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) launched the NASA Force website on Friday, opening applications for roles aimed at recruiting the nation’s top engineers and technologists to support America’s air and space program. 

NASA Force, a new hiring initiative developed in partnership with OPM, will recruit and place high-impact technical talent into mission-critical roles supporting NASA’s exploration, research, and advanced technology priorities, ensuring the agency has the cutting-edge expertise needed to maintain U.S. leadership in air and space. 

“NASA Force is bringing highly skilled early- to mid-career engineers, technologists and innovators to help us achieve our world-changing missions,” said NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman. “Our successful Artemis II mission has inspired the world and generated tremendous interest to join our workforce to be part of the Golden Age of innovation and exploration.” 

NASA Force is part of a broader US Tech Force  initiative established by OPM to recruit elite technical professionals into federal service at multiple agencies to modernize systems, accelerate innovation, and strengthen mission delivery. 

“NASA has always shown the world what American talent can achieve when it’s pointed at a bold mission,” said OPM Director Scott Kupor. “NASA Force is about making sure the agency has access to the next generation of innovation and strong partnerships with private sector talent to drive its very ambitious agenda.” 

The first job application under NASA Force is for aerospace engineer positions for a two-year term position, with the potential for additional term extensions. Additional openings are expected in the coming weeks and months. 

If interested in jobs in addition to NASA Force, visit: 

https://www.usajobs.gov

NASA is taking deliberate steps to retain and bolster its internal talent pipeline, strengthen technical core competencies and in-house capabilities, and foster an enduring culture of technical resilience.  NASA Force is one part of the agency’s workforce efforts aimed at achieving the President’s national space policy and maintaining unrivaled U.S. leadership in air and space exploration.   

To learn more about NASA Force and apply for jobs, visit:

https://www.nasaforce.gov

-end-

Camille Gallo / Jennifer Dooren  
Headquarters, Washington  
202-358-1600  
camille.m.gallo@nasa.gov / jennifer.m.dooren@nasa.gov 

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https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/nasa-opm-announce-new-nasa-force-website-open-job-applications/

Quality Assessment Report Evaluates Tomorrow.io Precipitation Radar Data

The report adds to the growing documentation on commercial data’s contributions to Earth science research and applications.more
https://science.nasa.gov/science-research/earth-science/quality-assessment-report-evaluates-tomorrow-io-precipitation-radar-data/

Quality Assessment Report Evaluates Tomorrow.io Precipitation Radar Data

A new quality assessment report from NASA’s Commercial Satellite Data Acquisition (CSDA) program approves the use of precipitation radar data from Tomorrow.io for NASA scientific use.

Issued March 9, 2026, the Commercial Satellite Data Acquisition Program Tomorrow.io Radar Quality Assessment Report documents the evaluation process of the NASA subject matter experts (SMEs) enlisted to analyze the data quality of the Ka-band Precipitation Radars aboard the company’s R1 and R2 spacecraft.

The SMEs assessed the company’s Level 2 Precipitation products and geolocation accuracy and their results were generally in agreement with the analysis provided by Tomorrow.io in its algorithm theoretical basis document. The geolocation assessment showed “excellent correlation” of 0.98 with a digital elevation model (DEM) reference. In addition, comparisons to ground radar were in good agreement for both radars, with correlations to ground radar of 0.73 and 0.93. (R2 showed slightly higher accuracy than R1, with biases of –22% (R1) and –6% (R2)). Based on these results, the SMEs concluded that Tomorrow.io precipitation radar data be considered for NASA scientific use, contingent upon alignment with science objectives and application needs.

To Tomorrow.io, the CSDA program’s independent evaluation process provides the confidence the scientific community needs to rely on commercial Earth observation data.

“When NASA’s own subject matter experts validate that a commercially built space-based radar system can contribute meaningfully alongside programs like NASA’s Global Precipitation Measurement missions, that opens a new chapter for Earth observation,” said Rei Goffer, Chief Strategy Officer and Founder of Tomorrow.io. “We built these instruments to demonstrate that the commercial sector can deliver science-quality data from space, and we’re proud that NASA’s assessment supports that vision.”

About the CSDA Program

NASA’s Earth Science Division (ESD) established the CSDA program to identify, evaluate, and acquire commercial remote sensing data that enhances NASA’s Earth science research and applications. CSDA provides structured on-ramping opportunities for emerging commercial satellite data vendors, enabling NASA to continuously integrate innovative data sources as the private sector evolves. By leveraging these partnerships, NASA’s ESD aims to accelerate scientific discovery and expand applications of Earth observation data for the NASA Earth science research and applications community and societal benefit.

Since its initial pilot, the CSDA Program has conducted three on-ramp activities, resulting in the addition of several vendors into sustainment. Since then, the program has streamlined its evaluation process by introducing high-quality, SME-led data assessments, accelerating reviews and strengthening NASA’s engagement with the rapidly growing commercial data ecosystem. The CSDA’s evaluation criteria include:

• Accessibility of data
• Completeness and accuracy of metadata
• User support services provided by the commercial entity
• Usefulness of submitted data for science and applications

This approach ensures NASA gains timely access to high-quality, mission-relevant commercial data, and provides valuable feedback to private-sector providers, fostering innovation, improved data products, and alignment of industry capabilities with NASA’s evolving scientific needs.

Resources

To read the Commercial Satellite Data Acquisition Program Tomorrow.io Radar Quality Assessment Report, visit the CSDA website.

For more information about the CSDA program’s process for identifying commercial satellite vendors for on-ramp and evaluation, visit the CSDA website.

Learn more about Tomorrow.io commercial data available through the CSDA program’s recent Vendor Focus webinar.

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https://science.nasa.gov/science-research/earth-science/quality-assessment-report-evaluates-tomorrow-io-precipitation-radar-data/

Volunteers Discover Rare Space Weather Events Using Their Ears

Scientists are working to understand exactly how these waves behave, and the team behind NASA’s Heliophysics Audified: Resonances in Plasmas (HARP) citizen science project approaches this in a unique way: they compare the Earth’s magnetic field to a giant harp in space.more
https://science.nasa.gov/get-involved/citizen-science/volunteers-discover-rare-space-weather-events-using-their-ears/

Volunteers Discover Rare Space Weather Events Using Their Ears

Our planet rests inside a magnetic cocoon filled with plasma – but it’s not always peaceful and quiet. Activity from the Sun can send waves through this space, and some of those disturbances can even reach Earth, affecting our power grid.

Scientists are working to understand exactly how these waves behave, and the team behind NASA’s Heliophysics Audified: Resonances in Plasmas (HARP) citizen science project approaches this in a unique way: they compare the Earth’s magnetic field to a giant harp in space. The HARP team translated magnetic field measurements into sound. This translation allowed HARP project volunteers to use their ears to study a particular type of plasma wave that plays a role in space weather. What they heard surprised everyone.

The science team expected lower pitches farther from Earth and higher pitches closer to it. But when they played back data from NASA’s THEMIS (Time History of Events and Macroscale Interactions during Substorms) mission, volunteers noticed something unexpected. Some plasma waves revealed the opposite pattern – lower pitches close to Earth and higher pitches farther away. 

The HARP volunteers were thrilled to help discover this anomaly, which will help scientists better understand geomagnetic storms. One volunteer said of the HARP project, “I only signed up for this group because my friend was participating, but now I think I’m going to change my major to physics – this was just too cool.” These findings now appear in a new article in Frontiers in Astronomy and Space Sciences. 

Thank you to all the HARP volunteers who helped develop the project’s audio analysis protocol, beta tested the graphical user interface, and identified and labeled the myriad plasma waves that the team will be studying for years to come.

The HARP project was sponsored by NASA and continues to be sponsored by the National Science Foundation. The project is no longer actively seeking volunteers.

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https://science.nasa.gov/get-involved/citizen-science/volunteers-discover-rare-space-weather-events-using-their-ears/

NASA’s SPHEREx Observatory Maps Interstellar Ice in Milky Way

An observation made by NASA’s SPHEREx (Spectro-Photometer for the History of the Universe, Epoch of Reionization, and Ices Explorer) shows the chemical signatures of water ice (shown in bright blue) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (orange) in Cygnus X, one of the most active and turbulent regions of star birth in our Milky Way galaxy. The […]more
https://www.nasa.gov/image-article/nasas-spherex-observatory-maps-interstellar-ice-in-milky-way/

NASA’s SPHEREx Observatory Maps Interstellar Ice in Milky Way

An observation made by NASA’s SPHEREx (Spectro-Photometer for the History of the Universe, Epoch of Reionization, and Ices Explorer) shows the chemical signatures of water ice (shown in bright blue) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (orange) in Cygnus X, one of the most active and turbulent regions of star birth in our Milky Way galaxy. The image was released on April 15, 2026, along with a study detailing the observation.

One of SPHEREx’s main goals is to map the chemical signatures of various types of interstellar ice. This ice includes molecules like water, carbon dioxide, and carbon monoxide, which are vital to the chemistry that allows life to develop. Researchers believe these ice reservoirs, attached to the surfaces of tiny dust grains, are where most of the universe’s water is formed and stored. The water in Earth’s oceans — and the ices in comets and on other planets and moons in our galaxy — originates from these regions.

SPHEREx launched March 11, 2025, and has the unique ability to see the sky in 102 colors, each representing a different wavelength of infrared light that offers distinctive information about galaxies, stars, planet-forming regions, and other cosmic features.

Read more about what SPHEREx found.

Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/IPAC/Hora et al.

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https://www.nasa.gov/image-article/nasas-spherex-observatory-maps-interstellar-ice-in-milky-way/

Spring Rains Saturate Michigan

Above-normal precipitation has swollen rivers and damaged infrastructure statewide.more
https://science.nasa.gov/earth/earth-observatory/spring-rains-saturate-michigan/

Spring Rains Saturate Michigan

The start of spring 2026 brought bouts of heavy rain to much of Michigan. Above-normal levels of precipitation in March and early April—exacerbated by snowmelt in the northern part of the state—saturated soils and caused damaging flooding along multiple rivers. A flood watch spanned the entirety of both the upper and lower peninsulas as rain continued to fall in mid-April.

Flooding along the Grand River—Michigan’s longest—near Grand Rapids is visible in the image above (right), acquired on April 11, 2026. For comparison, the left image shows the area the previous April. The images are false-color to better distinguish water from vegetation and other land cover.

At the time of the 2026 image, river gauge data showed the Grand River at Comstock Park was in minor flood stage. The river had crested on April 8 at about half a foot beneath the major flood level at this gauge, making it one of the harder-hit locations along the river. Water had already submerged roads and trails along its banks and encroached on homes, according to news reports, and more water was still to come. After another round of rain, the river was rising again as of April 16, with the potential to reach one of the highest levels on record in Grand Rapids.

The area has been beset by many weeks of soggy weather. Grand Rapids saw approximately double the normal March rainfall totals in 2026. In the first half of April, it received 5.79 inches (147 millimeters), exceeding the average for the entire month by nearly 2 inches.

The story is similar throughout the state. To the north, where an above-normal snowpack still covered the ground, abundant rainfall combined with melt to amplify flooding. Floodwaters in the northern Lower Peninsula washed out roads, including part of a scenic drive, and rendered airport runways unusable. The buildup of water has also stressed dams around the state. Officials have been monitoring several reservoirs that are close to overtopping and have advised some residents to prepare to evacuate.

NASA Earth Observatory images by Lauren Dauphin, using Landsat data from the U.S. Geological Survey. Story by Lindsey Doermann.

References & Resources

• Bridge Michigan (2026, April 16) Michigan flood watch: Newaygo urges evacuations; Cheboygan Dam waters rise. Accessed April 16, 2026.
• FOX 17 (2026, April 5) Grand River forecast to reach major flood stage near Comstock Park. Accessed April 16, 2026.
• MLive (2026, April 15) All of Michigan under Flood Watch as roads washed out, dams fail, people evacuated. Accessed April 16, 2026.
• The New York Times (2026, April 15) Dam Failure Could Imperil Thousands in Northern Michigan. Accessed April 16, 2026.
• NOAA (2026) National Water Prediction Service. Accessed April 16, 2026.
• WGRD (2026, April 15) How the Current Grand River Flood Ranks Historically. Accessed April 16, 2026.

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https://science.nasa.gov/earth/earth-observatory/spring-rains-saturate-michigan/

NASA Invites Media to Latvia Artemis Accords Signing Ceremony

The Republic of Latvia will sign the Artemis Accords during a ceremony at 9 a.m. EDT Monday, April 20, at NASA Headquarters in Washington. NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman will host Dace Melbārde, Latvia’s minister for education and science; Jānis Beķeris, chargé d’affaires at the Embassy of the Republic of Latvia to the United States; and […]more
https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/nasa-invites-media-to-latvia-artemis-accords-signing-ceremony/

NASA Invites Media to Latvia Artemis Accords Signing Ceremony

The Republic of Latvia will sign the Artemis Accords during a ceremony at 9 a.m. EDT Monday, April 20, at NASA Headquarters in Washington.

NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman will host Dace Melbārde, Latvia’s minister for education and science; Jānis Beķeris, chargé d’affaires at the Embassy of the Republic of Latvia to the United States; and Jacob Helberg, under secretary of state for economic affairs at the U.S. Department of State.

This event is in person only. Media interested in attending must RSVP no later than 3 p.m. on Friday, April 17, to: hq-media@mail.nasa.gov. NASA’s media accreditation policy is online.

The signing ceremony will take place in the James E. Webb Memorial Auditorium at NASA Headquarters in the Mary W. Jackson building, 300 E Street SW.

In 2020, during the first Trump Administration, the United States, led by NASA and the State Department, joined with seven other founding nations to establish the Artemis Accords, responding to the growing interest in lunar activities by both governments and private companies.

The accords introduced the first set of practical principles aimed at enhancing the safety, transparency, and coordination of civil space exploration on the Moon, Mars, and beyond. Latvia will be the 62nd country to sign the Artemis Accords.

Learn more about the Artemis Accords at:

https://www.nasa.gov/artemis-accords

-end-

Camille Gallo / Elizabeth Shaw
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1600
camille.m.gallo@nasa.gov / elizabeth.a.shaw@nasa.gov

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https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/nasa-invites-media-to-latvia-artemis-accords-signing-ceremony/

At the Edge of Light

In this photo taken on April 6, 2026, a portion of the Moon’s far side is seen along the terminator—the boundary between lunar day and night—where low-angle sunlight casts long shadows across the surface. A section of Orientale Basin is visible along the upper right portion of the lunar disk, its structure subtly revealed under […]more
https://www.nasa.gov/image-article/at-the-edge-of-light/

At the Edge of Light

In this photo taken on April 6, 2026, a portion of the Moon’s far side is seen along the terminator—the boundary between lunar day and night—where low-angle sunlight casts long shadows across the surface.

A section of Orientale Basin is visible along the upper right portion of the lunar disk, its structure subtly revealed under grazing illumination. This lighting enhances contrast across the cratered terrain, highlighting variations in surface features and providing insight into the Moon’s geologic history.

See more imagery from the Artemis II mission.

Credit: NASA

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https://www.nasa.gov/image-article/at-the-edge-of-light/

NASA