What's Happening?
NASA's Commercial Satellite Data Acquisition (CSDA) Program has announced the integration of Vantor's Precision3D Product Line into its Satellite Data Explorer (SDX). This addition includes three digital elevation and terrain products: the Digital Surface
Model (DSM), Digital Terrain Model (DTM), and an Elevation Bundle. These models provide high-resolution elevation data at 1-meter spatial resolution, suitable for applications such as urban planning, environmental monitoring, and disaster response. The DSM offers a 3D elevation model capturing all surface features, while the DTM provides bare-earth elevation data by removing above-ground features. The Elevation Bundle combines both DSM and DTM, offering comprehensive terrain analysis. These products are now accessible through the SDX, which facilitates data discovery and download for researchers using NASA's Earthdata Login.
Why It's Important?
The integration of Vantor's Precision3D models into NASA's SDX is significant for enhancing geospatial data accessibility and accuracy. These high-resolution models support a wide range of applications, from urban development to environmental conservation, by providing precise elevation data. This development aligns with NASA's goal to augment Earth science research and applications through commercial satellite data. By offering consistent access to high-quality terrain data, NASA can improve its Earth system and hazard modeling capabilities, ultimately benefiting societal needs such as disaster preparedness and environmental management. The collaboration with commercial data providers like Vantor underscores the growing importance of public-private partnerships in advancing scientific research and technological innovation.
What's Next?
Researchers interested in utilizing these digital elevation and terrain models can access them through the SDX platform, following authentication via NASA's Earthdata Login. The data is subject to approval and governed by a United States government End User License Agreement (USG EULA). As NASA continues to evaluate and integrate commercial satellite data, further enhancements to the SDX platform and expansion of available datasets are anticipated. This ongoing collaboration with commercial partners is expected to bolster NASA's Earth science research capabilities and support a broader range of applications, potentially leading to new insights and innovations in geospatial analysis.
