A new quality assessment report from NASA’s Commercial Satellite Data Acquisition (CSDA) program approves the use of data from Satelilogic’s NewSat constellation, including the Mark IV and Mark V sensor generations, for scientific use.
Released on March 9, 2026 Commercial Satellite Data Acquisition Program Satellitosic NewSat Radiometric and Geometric Quality Assessment Report Documents the evaluation process of NASA subject matter experts (SMEs) enlisted to analyze the quality of the constellation’s radiometric and geometric data products.
The SME analyzed 60 top-of-atmosphere reflectance images collected between 2021 and 2025, focusing on radiometric and geometric performance at multiple sites. The results showed generally strong radiometric accuracy, with most 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. With some variability between sensor generations, geometric performance exceeded their stated sensor spatial response specifications. (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, SatelliteLogic has changed aspects of its data processing to address the findings and recommendations in the report. CSDA is engaged in quality assessment of its modified products and will report on the results in the near future.
NASA’s Earth Sciences 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 continually integrate innovative data sources alongside private sector growth. By leveraging these partnerships, NASA’s ESD aims to accelerate scientific discovery and expand the applications of Earth observation data for the benefit of the NASA Earth science research and applications community and society.
Since its initial pilot, the CSDA program has conducted three on-ramp activities, resulting in the involvement of multiple vendors in sustainability. Since then, the program has streamlined its evaluation process by introducing high-quality, SME-based data evaluation, accelerating reviews, and strengthening NASA’s partnerships with the rapidly growing commercial data ecosystem. CSDA’s evaluation criteria include:
- data access
- Completeness and accuracy of metadata
- User support services provided by the commercial entity
- Usefulness of the data presented for science and applications
This approach ensures NASA timely access to high-quality, mission-relevant commercial data, and provides valuable feedback to private sector providers, fostering innovation, improving data products, and aligning industry capabilities with NASA’s growing scientific needs.
To read CSDA Satellologic NewSat Radiometric and Geometric Quality Assessment ReportVisit CSDA website.
Watch the recent CSDA Vendor Focus Webinar on Satélogic on the CSDA program’s YouTube channel.
Visit the CSDA website for more information about the CSDA program’s process to identify commercial satellite vendors for on-ramp and evaluation.
