- NASA has chosen seven companies to provide commercial data for its Earth science research.
- The Commercial Smallsat Data Acquisition Program contract has a potential value of $476 million and can be effective for up to five years.
October 3, 2023, NASA Headquarters, In a recent announcement, NASA has unveiled the names of seven companies that will be instrumental in providing commercial data to bolster the agency’s Earth science research endeavors. This collaboration is part of the Commercial Smallsat Data Acquisition Program, which aims to acquire Earth observation data and related services from commercial entities.
The contract, which operates on a fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity basis, is set to be effective for a span of five years. There’s also an option to extend the services for an additional six months. The cumulative maximum potential value of this contract stands at $476 million, distributed among the selected contractors.
The companies that have been chosen through a comprehensive and open competition include:
- Airbus DS Geo, Inc. based in Herndon, Virginia
- Capella Space Corp. from San Francisco
- GHGSat, Inc. located in Montreal
- Maxar Intelligence, Inc. of Westminster, Colorado
- Space Sciences and Engineering (operating under the name PlanetiQ) from Golden, Colorado
- Spire Global Subsidiary, Inc. in Vienna, Virginia
- Umbra Lab, Inc. from Santa Barbara, California
NASA’s intention with this contract is to establish a flexible approach to obtaining data from commercial sources. This data will significantly support NASA’s Earth science research and application activities. A notable focus will be on data procured by commercial satellite constellations, which will offer a means to enhance NASA’s Earth observations with improved resolutions, heightened temporal frequency, and other innovative capabilities.
Furthermore, this contract is set to offer a cost-efficient avenue to augment the collection of Earth observations made by NASA, other U.S. government agencies, and even international partners and agencies. As part of the agreement, NASA will necessitate end-user license agreements to facilitate extensive dissemination and shareability of the commercial data. All contracts and task orders awarded for scientific non-commercial use will be associated with a set of government-defined license tiers.
For those seeking more details about NASA and its various programs, they are encouraged to visit the agency’s official website.
