The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is America’s civil space program and the global leader in space exploration. The agency has a diverse workforce of just under 18,000 civil servants, and works with many more U.
S. contractors, academia, and international and commercial partners to explore, discover, and expand knowledge for the benefit of humanity.
NASA and USGS are partnering with the Earth observation (EO) industry to integrate commercial data or products into the Landsat record—ensuring the future of land imaging and accelerating the EO economy into the 2030s. The SLI Commercial Transition Initiative brings together commercial EO providers, analytics vendors, calibration and validation experts, government partners, and the Landsat user community to evaluate new approaches for incorporating commercial capabilities into federal land imaging programs.
Through a phased, product-based approach, NASA and USGS will examine opportunities to lower barriers to commercial participation, evaluate incorporation of commercial data or products into transparent federal processing workflows, and support technical and technological advances within the U. S.
EO marketplace while maintaining the scientific quality, consistency, and continuity standards associated with the Landsat record.
The initial set of USGS “Quick Win” products includes bathymetry, surface water extent, burned area, and burn severity. Generating these products requires diverse imaging capabilities spanning the Visible and Near-Infrared (VNIR) to Shortwave Infrared (SWIR) spectral regions.
The maturity of these algorithms makes them ideal for direct technical collaboration with the Earth observation industry. Our approach is to augment Landsat-derived products with equivalent commercial offerings that demonstrate value through enhanced spectral and spatial resolution and/or improved temporal frequency.
Through this partnership, we will identify product quality and consistency gaps while sharing open-source, government-supplied processing workflows that enable commercial providers to meet Landsat-quality requirements.
The SLI Commercial Transition Initiative is evaluating how emerging commercial capabilities could complement the Landsat data record while maintaining the data quality and continuity needed for Earth science and applications, decision-making activities, and long-term environmental monitoring. We invite the EO community to review the SLI Commercial Transition strategy and provide feedback on the proposed approach.
Feedback is particularly valuable in areas including:
NASA and USGS want your feedback. Input from industry, analytics vendors, technology providers, and the Landsat user community will help inform the technical and programmatic development of the joint-agency SLI Commercial Transition Initiative.
Learn about the proposed SLI Commercial Transition approach, objectives, technical framework, phases, and implementation considerations.
Review materials presented during SLI Commercial Transition industry engagement activities, including information on proposed technical workflows and business-model considerations.
Technical documents, product information, engagement materials, and other resources will be published here as they become available.
Future acquisition opportunities associated with the SLI Commercial Transition Initiative will be communicated through appropriate federal acquisition channels.
Organizations interested in potential future opportunities are encouraged to review published strategy materials, participate in industry engagement activities, and monitor this site for updates.
Important: Information presented on this website regarding potential future acquisition activities is for planning and engagement purposes and does not constitute a solicitation or commitment by the U.S. Government.
The SLI Commercial Transition Initiative will continue to evolve as NASA and USGS engage with industry, evaluate emerging capabilities, and receive input from the Landsat user community.
Visit this page for new technical materials, engagement opportunities, program updates, and information about potential future acquisition activities.
Next SLI Commercial Transition Community Engagement
Your home. Our Mission. And the one planet that NASA studies more than any other.
The NASA/USGS Landsat program provides the longest continuous space-based record of Earth’s land in existence.
NASA's Earth Observatory brings you the Earth, every day: images, stories, and discoveries about the environment, Earth systems, and climate.
NASA Earth Science helps Americans respond to challenges and societal needs — such as wildland fires, hurricanes, and water supplies…
Commercial Earth observation constellations, products, and capabilities
Pre- and post-launch calibration and validation instrumentation and approaches
Science and applications requirements and use cases
SLI Commercial Transition Strategy Learn about the proposed SLI Commercial Transition approach, objectives, technical framework, phases, and implementation considerations.
Industry Event Presentation Review materials presented during SLI Commercial Transition industry engagement activities, including information on proposed technical workflows and business-model considerations. Explore
Additional Technical Resources Technical documents, product information, engagement materials, and other resources will be published here as they become available.
