NASA
NASA Selects Axiom Space for Fifth Private Mission to Space Station
NASA and Axiom Space have signed an order for the fifth private astronaut mission to the International Space Station, targeted to launch no earlier than January 2027 from the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
“The award of our fifth private astronaut mission shows that commercial space is not a distant promise, but a present reality,” said NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman. “By expanding access and sharpening competition in low Earth orbit, these missions are building the capabilities NASA will rely on as we move outward to the Moon, Mars, and beyond. We look forward to building upon those capabilities with many private astronaut missions to come.”
Axiom Mission 5 is expected to spend up to 14 days aboard the space station. A specific launch date will depend on overall spacecraft traffic at the orbital outpost and other planning considerations.
“The International Space Station is a critical platform for enabling commercial industry in low Earth orbit,” said Dana Weigel, manager, International Space Station Program, NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. “Private astronaut missions allow the station to be used as a proving ground for new markets and technologies while enabling science, research, and outreach to contribute to a growing space economy.”
Axiom Space will submit four proposed crew members to NASA and its international partners for review. Once approved and confirmed, they will train with NASA, international partners, and the launch provider for their mission.
“We are honored NASA awarded Axiom Space its fifth human spaceflight mission,” said Jonathan Cirtain, president and CEO, Axiom Space. “All four previous missions have expanded the global community of space explorers, diversifying scientific investigations in microgravity, and providing significant insight that is benefitting the development of our next-generation space station, Axiom Station. The award underscores Axiom Space’s commitment to redefining access to space, fostering international collaboration, and enabling research opportunities in low Earth orbit for the benefit of all.”
Axiom Space will purchase mission services from NASA, including crew consumables, cargo delivery, storage, and other in-orbit resources for daily use. NASA will purchase from Axiom Space the capability to return scientific samples that must be kept cold during transit back to Earth.
NASA made the selection from proposals received in response to its March 2025 NASA Research Announcement. The agency is finalizing the mission order for the sixth private astronaut mission to the space station and will share additional information once available.
Missions aboard the International Space Station, including private astronaut missions, contribute to advancing scientific knowledge and demonstrating new technologies for future human and robotic exploration flights as part of NASA’s Moon and Mars exploration approach, including lunar missions through NASA’s Artemis campaign.
Learn more about NASA’s commercial space strategy at:
https://www.nasa.gov/commercial-space
-end-
Jimi Russell
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1600
james.j.russell@nasa.gov
Anna Schneider / Joseph Zakrzewski
Johnson Space Center, Houston
281-483-5111
anna.c.schneider@nasa.gov / joseph.a.zakrzewski@nasa.gov
NASA Selects Axiom Space for Fifth Private Mission to Space Station
NASA and Axiom Space have signed an order for the fifth private astronaut mission to the International Space Station, targeted to launch no earlier than January 2027 from the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
“The award of our fifth private astronaut mission shows that commercial space is not a distant promise, but a present reality,” said NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman. “By expanding access and sharpening competition in low Earth orbit, these missions are building the capabilities NASA will rely on as we move outward to the Moon, Mars, and beyond. We look forward to building upon those capabilities with many private astronaut missions to come.”
Axiom Mission 5 is expected to spend up to 14 days aboard the space station. A specific launch date will depend on overall spacecraft traffic at the orbital outpost and other planning considerations.
“The International Space Station is a critical platform for enabling commercial industry in low Earth orbit,” said Dana Weigel, manager, International Space Station Program, NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. “Private astronaut missions allow the station to be used as a proving ground for new markets and technologies while enabling science, research, and outreach to contribute to a growing space economy.”
Axiom Space will submit four proposed crew members to NASA and its international partners for review. Once approved and confirmed, they will train with NASA, international partners, and the launch provider for their mission.
“We are honored NASA awarded Axiom Space its fifth human spaceflight mission,” said Jonathan Cirtain, president and CEO, Axiom Space. “All four previous missions have expanded the global community of space explorers, diversifying scientific investigations in microgravity, and providing significant insight that is benefitting the development of our next-generation space station, Axiom Station. The award underscores Axiom Space’s commitment to redefining access to space, fostering international collaboration, and enabling research opportunities in low Earth orbit for the benefit of all.”
Axiom Space will purchase mission services from NASA, including crew consumables, cargo delivery, storage, and other in-orbit resources for daily use. NASA will purchase from Axiom Space the capability to return scientific samples that must be kept cold during transit back to Earth.
NASA made the selection from proposals received in response to its March 2025 NASA Research Announcement. The agency is finalizing the mission order for the sixth private astronaut mission to the space station and will share additional information once available.
Missions aboard the International Space Station, including private astronaut missions, contribute to advancing scientific knowledge and demonstrating new technologies for future human and robotic exploration flights as part of NASA’s Moon and Mars exploration approach, including lunar missions through NASA’s Artemis campaign.
Learn more about NASA’s commercial space strategy at:
https://www.nasa.gov/commercial-space
-end-
Jimi Russell
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1600
james.j.russell@nasa.gov
Anna Schneider / Joseph Zakrzewski
Johnson Space Center, Houston
281-483-5111
anna.c.schneider@nasa.gov / joseph.a.zakrzewski@nasa.gov
NASA Aims to Advance Hypersonic Flight Testing with New Awards
3 min read
Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) The NASA award to SpaceWorks Enterprises will focus on research using the company’s X-60 platform. SpaceWorksWhile NASA is working with U.S. aviation to explore commercial supersonic technologies, the agency is also looking forward to an even faster era of flight – one of vehicles that can fly hypersonic, or five times the speed of sound. And to further that vision, NASA has issued two awards for studies into vehicle concepts.
Some types of vehicles – such as rockets – achieve hypersonic speeds by carrying supplies of oxygen to allow their fuel to burn, instead of using the surrounding air. In contrast, NASA’s Hypersonic Technology Project works to advance “airbreathing,” reusable hypersonic aircraft, which take in air as they fly, allowing for much longer sustained cruising at hypersonic speeds.
Given commercial interest in finding applications for airbreathing hypersonic vehicles, the Hypersonic Technology Project is looking to find ways to make testing and development easier. Two contract awards the project made in August are aimed at helping to provide an affordable bridge between hypersonic ground and flight tests.
“With these awards, NASA will collaborate with the commercial hypersonics industry to identify new ways to evaluate technologies through flight tests while we address the challenges of reusable, routine, airbreathing, hypersonic flight,” said Dr. Nateri Madavan, director of NASA’s Advanced Air Vehicles Program.
The new awards went to SpaceWorks Enterprises, of Atlanta, Georgia, and Stratolaunch of Mojave, California, both of which will support a six-month NASA study exploring how current vehicles could be modified to meet the need for reusable, high-cadence, affordable flight-testing capabilities. SpaceWorks, which received $500,000, will focus on the X-60 platform. Stratolaunch, which received $1.2 million, will focus on its Talon-A platform.
Through these awards, NASA wants industry to help define the capabilities needed to achieve flight test requirements. The work will also potentially support a future NASA Making Advancements in Commercial Hypersonics (MACH) project focused on advancing commercial hypersonic vehicles through the development of infrastructure such as cost estimates and schedule requirements for a potential flight vehicle.
NASA advances U.S. hypersonic research through the Hypersonic Technology Project under the agency’s Advanced Air Vehicles Program. NASA intends for these projects to help lead the way in enabling revolutionary advancements in fundamental airbreathing hypersonic technologies.
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Share Details Last Updated Jan 30, 2026 EditorLillian GipsonContactJim Bankejim.banke@nasa.gov Related TermsNASA Aims to Advance Hypersonic Flight Testing with New Awards
3 min read
Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) The NASA award to SpaceWorks Enterprises will focus on research using the company’s X-60 platform. SpaceWorksWhile NASA is working with U.S. aviation to explore commercial supersonic technologies, the agency is also looking forward to an even faster era of flight – one of vehicles that can fly hypersonic, or five times the speed of sound. And to further that vision, NASA has issued two awards for studies into vehicle concepts.
Some types of vehicles – such as rockets – achieve hypersonic speeds by carrying supplies of oxygen to allow their fuel to burn, instead of using the surrounding air. In contrast, NASA’s Hypersonic Technology Project works to advance “airbreathing,” reusable hypersonic aircraft, which take in air as they fly, allowing for much longer sustained cruising at hypersonic speeds.
Given commercial interest in finding applications for airbreathing hypersonic vehicles, the Hypersonic Technology Project is looking to find ways to make testing and development easier. Two contract awards the project made in August are aimed at helping to provide an affordable bridge between hypersonic ground and flight tests.
“With these awards, NASA will collaborate with the commercial hypersonics industry to identify new ways to evaluate technologies through flight tests while we address the challenges of reusable, routine, airbreathing, hypersonic flight,” said Dr. Nateri Madavan, director of NASA’s Advanced Air Vehicles Program.
The new awards went to SpaceWorks Enterprises, of Atlanta, Georgia, and Stratolaunch of Mojave, California, both of which will support a six-month NASA study exploring how current vehicles could be modified to meet the need for reusable, high-cadence, affordable flight-testing capabilities. SpaceWorks, which received $500,000, will focus on the X-60 platform. Stratolaunch, which received $1.2 million, will focus on its Talon-A platform.
Through these awards, NASA wants industry to help define the capabilities needed to achieve flight test requirements. The work will also potentially support a future NASA Making Advancements in Commercial Hypersonics (MACH) project focused on advancing commercial hypersonic vehicles through the development of infrastructure such as cost estimates and schedule requirements for a potential flight vehicle.
NASA advances U.S. hypersonic research through the Hypersonic Technology Project under the agency’s Advanced Air Vehicles Program. NASA intends for these projects to help lead the way in enabling revolutionary advancements in fundamental airbreathing hypersonic technologies.
Facebook logo @NASA@NASAaero@NASAes @NASA@NASAaero@NASA_es Instagram logo @NASA@NASAaero@NASA_es Linkedin logo @NASA Explore More 4 min read NASA Science Flights Venture to Improve Severe Winter Weather Warnings Article 6 days ago 4 min read NASA, GE Aerospace Hybrid Engine System Marks Successful Test Article 1 week ago 4 min read NASA Tests Technology Offering Potential Fuel Savings for Commercial Aviation Article 2 weeks ago Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASAMissions
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Share Details Last Updated Jan 30, 2026 EditorLillian GipsonContactJim Bankejim.banke@nasa.gov Related TermsVisualizing Perseverance’s AI-Planned Drive on Mars
NASA/JPL-Caltech Photojournal Navigation Downloads Visualizing Perseverance’s AI-Planned Drive on Mars
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This animation of NASA’s Perseverance was created with the Caspian visualization tool using data acquired during an 807-foot (246-meter) drive on the rim of Jezero Crater made by the rover on Dec. 10, 2025, the 1,709th Martian day, or sol, of the mission. The mission’s “drivers,” or rover planners, use the information to understand the Perseverance’s autonomous decision-making process during its drive by showing why it chose one specific path over other options.
This was one of two drives, the first being on Dec. 8, in which generative artificial intelligence provided the route planning. The AI analyzed high-resolution orbital imagery from the HiRISE (High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment) camera aboard NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter and terrain-slope data from digital elevation models to identify critical terrain features — bedrock, outcrops, hazardous boulder fields, sand ripples, and the like. From that analysis, it generated a continuous path complete with waypoints, fixed locations where the rover takes up a new set of instructions.
The pale blue lines depict the track the rover’s wheels take. The black lines snaking out in front of the rover depict the different path options the rover is considering moment to moment. The white terrain Perseverance drives onto in the animation is a height map generated using data the rover collected during the drive. The pale blue circle that appears in front of the rover near the end of the animation is a waypoint.
NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, which is managed for the agency by Caltech, built and manages operations of the Perseverance rover.
For more about Perseverance: science.nasa.gov/mission/mars-2020-perseverance/
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Visualizing Perseverance’s AI-Planned Drive on Mars
NASA/JPL-Caltech Photojournal Navigation Downloads Visualizing Perseverance’s AI-Planned Drive on Mars
PNG (326.26 KB)
PIA26646 Animation
MP4 (157.38 MB)
Description
This animation of NASA’s Perseverance was created with the Caspian visualization tool using data acquired during an 807-foot (246-meter) drive on the rim of Jezero Crater made by the rover on Dec. 10, 2025, the 1,709th Martian day, or sol, of the mission. The mission’s “drivers,” or rover planners, use the information to understand the Perseverance’s autonomous decision-making process during its drive by showing why it chose one specific path over other options.
This was one of two drives, the first being on Dec. 8, in which generative artificial intelligence provided the route planning. The AI analyzed high-resolution orbital imagery from the HiRISE (High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment) camera aboard NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter and terrain-slope data from digital elevation models to identify critical terrain features — bedrock, outcrops, hazardous boulder fields, sand ripples, and the like. From that analysis, it generated a continuous path complete with waypoints, fixed locations where the rover takes up a new set of instructions.
The pale blue lines depict the track the rover’s wheels take. The black lines snaking out in front of the rover depict the different path options the rover is considering moment to moment. The white terrain Perseverance drives onto in the animation is a height map generated using data the rover collected during the drive. The pale blue circle that appears in front of the rover near the end of the animation is a waypoint.
NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, which is managed for the agency by Caltech, built and manages operations of the Perseverance rover.
For more about Perseverance: science.nasa.gov/mission/mars-2020-perseverance/
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NASA Honor Awards for Cold Atom Lab Team Members
Awarded for notable leadership accomplishments that have significantly influenced NASA’s mission. Sustained leadership and exceptionally high-impact leadership achievements demonstrate the individual’s effectiveness in advancing NASA’s goals and image in present and future terms.
Kamal Oudrhiri – For outstanding leadership of the Cold Atom Laboratory, NASA’s first quantum laboratory in space.
NASA EXCEPTIONAL SCIENTIFIC ACHIEVEMENT MEDALAwarded for exceptional scientific contributions toward achievement of NASA’s mission. This award is given for individual efforts that have resulted in a key scientific discovery or resulted in contribution(s) of fundamental importance in this field or significantly enhanced understanding of the field.
Jason Williams – For exceptional scientific achievements enabling and performing the first pathfinding experiments in quantum sensing of inertial forces with atom interferometry in space.
NASA EXCEPTIONAL PUBLIC ACHIEVEMENT MEDALAwarded for a significant specific achievement or substantial improvement in operations, efficiency, service, financial savings, science, or technology which contributes to the mission of NASA.
Ethan Elliott – For exceptional achievement in generating the first quantum gas mixtures in space and using them to demonstrate dual species matter-wave interferometry for quantum tests.
NASA EARLY CAREER ACHIEVEMENT MEDALThis prestigious NASA medal is awarded for significant performance during the first 10 years of an individual’s career in support of the NASA Mission. The contribution is significant, in that, for an employee who is at such an early phase of career, the contribution has substantially improved the discipline area.
Sarah Rees – For early career achievement in anomaly recovery and complex operation efforts in support of the Cold Atom Laboratory on the International Space Station.
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Cold Atom Laboratory
International Space Station
To view more images, visit the Space Station Gallery.
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
International Space Station Facts and Figures
International Space Station Facts International Space Station Size & Mass
NASA Honor Awards for Cold Atom Lab Team Members
Awarded for notable leadership accomplishments that have significantly influenced NASA’s mission. Sustained leadership and exceptionally high-impact leadership achievements demonstrate the individual’s effectiveness in advancing NASA’s goals and image in present and future terms.
Kamal Oudrhiri – For outstanding leadership of the Cold Atom Laboratory, NASA’s first quantum laboratory in space.
NASA EXCEPTIONAL SCIENTIFIC ACHIEVEMENT MEDALAwarded for exceptional scientific contributions toward achievement of NASA’s mission. This award is given for individual efforts that have resulted in a key scientific discovery or resulted in contribution(s) of fundamental importance in this field or significantly enhanced understanding of the field.
Jason Williams – For exceptional scientific achievements enabling and performing the first pathfinding experiments in quantum sensing of inertial forces with atom interferometry in space.
NASA EXCEPTIONAL PUBLIC ACHIEVEMENT MEDALAwarded for a significant specific achievement or substantial improvement in operations, efficiency, service, financial savings, science, or technology which contributes to the mission of NASA.
Ethan Elliott – For exceptional achievement in generating the first quantum gas mixtures in space and using them to demonstrate dual species matter-wave interferometry for quantum tests.
NASA EARLY CAREER ACHIEVEMENT MEDALThis prestigious NASA medal is awarded for significant performance during the first 10 years of an individual’s career in support of the NASA Mission. The contribution is significant, in that, for an employee who is at such an early phase of career, the contribution has substantially improved the discipline area.
Sarah Rees – For early career achievement in anomaly recovery and complex operation efforts in support of the Cold Atom Laboratory on the International Space Station.
Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASA
Cold Atom Laboratory
International Space Station
To view more images, visit the Space Station Gallery.
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
International Space Station Facts and Figures
International Space Station Facts International Space Station Size & Mass
Video: Perseverance Rover’s View of Crater Rim Drive
NASA/JPL-Caltech Photojournal Navigation Downloads Video: Perseverance Rover’s View of Crater Rim Drive
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PIA26647 Animation
MP4 (125.55 MB)
Description
This animation shows Perseverance’s point of view during drive of 807 feet (246 meters) along the rim of Jezero Crater on Dec. 10, 2025, the 1,709th Martian day, or sol, of the mission. Captured over two hours and 35 minutes, 53 Navigation Camera (Navcam) image pairs were combined with rover data on orientation, wheel speed, and steering angle, as well as data from Perseverance’s Inertial Measurement Unit, and placed into a 3D virtual environment. The result is this reconstruction with virtual frames inserted about every 4 inches (0.1 meters) of drive progress.
NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, which is managed for the agency by Caltech, built and manages operations of the Perseverance rover.
For more about Perseverance: science.nasa.gov/mission/mars-2020-perseverance/
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Video: Perseverance Rover’s View of Crater Rim Drive
NASA/JPL-Caltech Photojournal Navigation Downloads Video: Perseverance Rover’s View of Crater Rim Drive
JPEG (659.02 KB)
PIA26647 Animation
MP4 (125.55 MB)
Description
This animation shows Perseverance’s point of view during drive of 807 feet (246 meters) along the rim of Jezero Crater on Dec. 10, 2025, the 1,709th Martian day, or sol, of the mission. Captured over two hours and 35 minutes, 53 Navigation Camera (Navcam) image pairs were combined with rover data on orientation, wheel speed, and steering angle, as well as data from Perseverance’s Inertial Measurement Unit, and placed into a 3D virtual environment. The result is this reconstruction with virtual frames inserted about every 4 inches (0.1 meters) of drive progress.
NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, which is managed for the agency by Caltech, built and manages operations of the Perseverance rover.
For more about Perseverance: science.nasa.gov/mission/mars-2020-perseverance/
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Mapping Perseverance’s Route With AI
NASA/JPL-Caltech/UofA Photojournal Navigation Downloads Mapping Perseverance’s Route With AI
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This annotated image from NASA’s HiRISE (High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment) camera aboard the agency’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter image depicts the AI-planned route and the actual route taken by NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover during its 807-foot (246-meter) drive on Dec. 10, 2025, the 1,709th Martian day, or sol, of the mission. The drive was the second of two demonstrations — the first being on Dec. 8 — showing that generative artificial intelligence could be incorporated in the rover’s route planning.
The magenta lines depict the path the rover’s wheels would take if it were to follow AI-processed waypoints, which are indicated with the magenta circles. (Waypoints are fixed locations where the rover takes up a new set of instructions.) The orange lines are based on data downlinked after the drive was complete and depict the actual path the rover took. The short, bold segments of the blue lines at the start of the route, in the upper right, show the portion of the drive that was determined by the mission’s rover drivers and based on imagery taken by the rover of the surface ahead. The surface areas in pale green boxes are called “keep-in zones.” Perseverance’s self-driving software is only allowed to pick routes inside those zones.
The graphic was generated using Hyperdrive, part of the software suite used to plan rover drives and manage the massive influx of engineering data from the Perseverance rover.
NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, which is managed for the agency by Caltech, built and manages operations of the Perseverance rover.
For more about Perseverance: science.nasa.gov/mission/mars-2020-perseverance/
The University of Arizona in Tucson, operates HiRISE, which was built by BAE Systems in Boulder, Colorado. JPL manages the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter for SMD.
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Mapping Perseverance’s Route With AI
NASA/JPL-Caltech/UofA Photojournal Navigation Downloads Mapping Perseverance’s Route With AI
PNG (1,003.24 KB)
Description
This annotated image from NASA’s HiRISE (High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment) camera aboard the agency’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter image depicts the AI-planned route and the actual route taken by NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover during its 807-foot (246-meter) drive on Dec. 10, 2025, the 1,709th Martian day, or sol, of the mission. The drive was the second of two demonstrations — the first being on Dec. 8 — showing that generative artificial intelligence could be incorporated in the rover’s route planning.
The magenta lines depict the path the rover’s wheels would take if it were to follow AI-processed waypoints, which are indicated with the magenta circles. (Waypoints are fixed locations where the rover takes up a new set of instructions.) The orange lines are based on data downlinked after the drive was complete and depict the actual path the rover took. The short, bold segments of the blue lines at the start of the route, in the upper right, show the portion of the drive that was determined by the mission’s rover drivers and based on imagery taken by the rover of the surface ahead. The surface areas in pale green boxes are called “keep-in zones.” Perseverance’s self-driving software is only allowed to pick routes inside those zones.
The graphic was generated using Hyperdrive, part of the software suite used to plan rover drives and manage the massive influx of engineering data from the Perseverance rover.
NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, which is managed for the agency by Caltech, built and manages operations of the Perseverance rover.
For more about Perseverance: science.nasa.gov/mission/mars-2020-perseverance/
The University of Arizona in Tucson, operates HiRISE, which was built by BAE Systems in Boulder, Colorado. JPL manages the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter for SMD.
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NASA’s Commercial Satellite Data Acquisition Program Releases Archived and Tasked Multispectral Data from Satellogic
- CSDA
- Commercial Data
- CSDA Vendors
- Program Activities
- Pilot Research Projects
- FAQs
- News
3 min read
NASA’s Commercial Satellite Data Acquisition Program Releases Archived and Tasked Multispectral Data from Satellogic This image of an urban area outside of New Orleans, Louisiana, shows the high resolution available from Satellogic’s level 1D Orthorectified multispectral archive and tasked data product now available in the CSDA Program’s Satellite Data Explorer. Credit: CSDA“The mission of the CSDA Program is to identify, evaluate, and acquire data from commercial sources that support NASA’s Earth science research and application goals,” said CSDA Project Manager Dana Ostrenga. “The addition of this product from Satellogic to the SDX demonstrates the CSDA Program’s ongoing commitment to that mission, as well as to our objective of bringing high-quality, Earth observation data from NASA’s commercial partners to the Earth Science community.”
This Level 1D product, which is equivalent to a NASA-defined Level 1C data product, is derived from satellites in Satellogic’s NewSat constellation, each of which carries a multispectral camera offering four bands in visible (red, green, and blue) and near-infrared part of the electromagnetic spectrum. The product provides images covering 25,000 square kilometers (km2) of the Satellogic archive.
Researchers interested in accessing this data product in SDX can use their Earthdata Login for authentication and initiate data download requests. The product includes all associated metadata and documentation, and its use is governed by the United States government plus End User License Agreement (USG EULA)
About SDXThe SDX allows users to search, discover, and access a variety of Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS), digital elevation model (DEM), synthetic aperture radar (SAR), multispectral, and precipitation radar data acquired through the CSDA program. It also provides streamlined data download, automated quota tracking, and a new coverage map that provides a high-level overview of the spatial coverage of the data discoverable through the SDX for any specified month and year. For a summary of the NASA commercial partner datasets available in SDX, visit the SDX website.
To order data from SDX, users must create an account with and be logged in to NASA Earthdata. (The initial attempt to use SDX will redirect users to Earthdata Login, where they will be prompted to enter their Earthdata credentials and accept the terms of the EULA.) Users must agree to the terms of the EULA before any data can be requested. Note: All data requests must be approved by CSDA data managers.
About the CSDA ProgramNASA’s Earth Science Division (ESD) established the CSDA Program to identify, evaluate, and acquire data from commercial providers that to support NASA’s Earth science research and applications. NASA recognizes the potential of commercial satellite constellations to advance Earth System Science and applications for societal benefit and believes commercially acquired data may also can augment the Earth observations acquired by NASA, and other U.S. government agencies, and NASA’s international partners.
All data from CSDA contract-awarded vendors are evaluated by the investigator-led CSDA project teams that assess the value of adding a vendor’s data to CSDA’s data holdings based on their quality and how they might benefit in the context of NASA Earth science research and applications. To learn more about the program, its commercial partners, data evaluation process, and more, visit the CSDA website.
Learning ResourcesFor more information on the CSDA Program’s SDX, see the SDX user guide.
Detailed information about the Level 1D products is available on the Satellogic website.
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NASA’s Commercial Satellite Data Acquisition Program Releases Archived and Tasked Multispectral Data from Satellogic
- CSDA
- Commercial Data
- CSDA Vendors
- Program Activities
- Pilot Research Projects
- FAQs
- News
3 min read
NASA’s Commercial Satellite Data Acquisition Program Releases Archived and Tasked Multispectral Data from Satellogic This image of an urban area outside of New Orleans, Louisiana, shows the high resolution available from Satellogic’s level 1D Orthorectified multispectral archive and tasked data product now available in the CSDA Program’s Satellite Data Explorer. Credit: CSDA“The mission of the CSDA Program is to identify, evaluate, and acquire data from commercial sources that support NASA’s Earth science research and application goals,” said CSDA Project Manager Dana Ostrenga. “The addition of this product from Satellogic to the SDX demonstrates the CSDA Program’s ongoing commitment to that mission, as well as to our objective of bringing high-quality, Earth observation data from NASA’s commercial partners to the Earth Science community.”
This Level 1D product, which is equivalent to a NASA-defined Level 1C data product, is derived from satellites in Satellogic’s NewSat constellation, each of which carries a multispectral camera offering four bands in visible (red, green, and blue) and near-infrared part of the electromagnetic spectrum. The product provides images covering 25,000 square kilometers (km2) of the Satellogic archive.
Researchers interested in accessing this data product in SDX can use their Earthdata Login for authentication and initiate data download requests. The product includes all associated metadata and documentation, and its use is governed by the United States government plus End User License Agreement (USG EULA)
About SDXThe SDX allows users to search, discover, and access a variety of Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS), digital elevation model (DEM), synthetic aperture radar (SAR), multispectral, and precipitation radar data acquired through the CSDA program. It also provides streamlined data download, automated quota tracking, and a new coverage map that provides a high-level overview of the spatial coverage of the data discoverable through the SDX for any specified month and year. For a summary of the NASA commercial partner datasets available in SDX, visit the SDX website.
To order data from SDX, users must create an account with and be logged in to NASA Earthdata. (The initial attempt to use SDX will redirect users to Earthdata Login, where they will be prompted to enter their Earthdata credentials and accept the terms of the EULA.) Users must agree to the terms of the EULA before any data can be requested. Note: All data requests must be approved by CSDA data managers.
About the CSDA ProgramNASA’s Earth Science Division (ESD) established the CSDA Program to identify, evaluate, and acquire data from commercial providers that to support NASA’s Earth science research and applications. NASA recognizes the potential of commercial satellite constellations to advance Earth System Science and applications for societal benefit and believes commercially acquired data may also can augment the Earth observations acquired by NASA, and other U.S. government agencies, and NASA’s international partners.
All data from CSDA contract-awarded vendors are evaluated by the investigator-led CSDA project teams that assess the value of adding a vendor’s data to CSDA’s data holdings based on their quality and how they might benefit in the context of NASA Earth science research and applications. To learn more about the program, its commercial partners, data evaluation process, and more, visit the CSDA website.
Learning ResourcesFor more information on the CSDA Program’s SDX, see the SDX user guide.
Detailed information about the Level 1D products is available on the Satellogic website.
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NASA’s Perseverance Rover Completes First AI-Planned Drive on Mars
NASA/JPL-Caltech
The team for the six-wheeled scientist used a vision-capable AI to create a safe route over the Red Planet’s surface without the input of human route planners.
NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover has completed the first drives on another world that were planned by artificial intelligence. Executed on Dec. 8 and 10, and led by the agency’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, the demonstration used generative AI to create waypoints for Perseverance, a complex decision-making task typically performed manually by the mission’s human rover planners.
“This demonstration shows how far our capabilities have advanced and broadens how we will explore other worlds,” said NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman. “Autonomous technologies like this can help missions to operate more efficiently, respond to challenging terrain, and increase science return as distance from Earth grows. It’s a strong example of teams applying new technology carefully and responsibly in real operations.”
During the demonstration, the team leveraged a type of generative AI called vision-language models to analyze existing data from JPL’s surface mission dataset. The AI used the same imagery and data that human planners rely on to generate waypoints — fixed locations where the rover takes up a new set of instructions — so that Perseverance could safely navigate the challenging Martian terrain.
The initiative was led out of JPL’s Rover Operations Center (ROC) in collaboration with Anthropic, using the company’s Claude AI models.
This animation was created using data acquired during Perseverance’s Dec. 10, 2025, drive on Jezero Crater’s rim. Pale blue lines depict the track the rover’s wheels take. Black lines snaking out in front of the rover show the path options the rover is considering. The white terrain is a height map based on rover data. The blue circle that appears near the end of the animation is a waypoint.NASA/JPL-Caltech Progress for Mars, beyond
Mars is on average about 140 million miles (225 million kilometers) away from Earth. This vast distance creates a significant communication lag, making real-time remote operation — or “joy-sticking” — of a rover impossible. Instead, for the past 28 years, over several missions, rover routes have been planned and executed by human “drivers,” who analyze the terrain and status data to sketch a route using waypoints, which are usually spaced no more than 330 feet (100 meters) apart to avoid any potential hazards. Then they send the plans via NASA’s Deep Space Network to the rover, which executes them.
But for Perseverance’s drives on the 1,707 and 1,709 Martian days, or sols, of the mission, the team did something different: Generative AI provided the analysis of the high-resolution orbital imagery from the HiRISE (High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment) camera aboard NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter and terrain-slope data from digital elevation models. After identifying critical terrain features — bedrock, outcrops, hazardous boulder fields, sand ripples, and the like — it generated a continuous path complete with waypoints.
To ensure the AI’s instructions were fully compatible with the rover’s flight software, the engineering team also processed the drive commands through JPL’s “digital twin” (virtual replica of the rover), verifying over 500,000 telemetry variables before sending commands to Mars.
On Dec. 8, with generative AI waypoints in its memory, Perseverance drove 689 feet (210 meters). Two days later, it drove 807 feet (246 meters).
“The fundamental elements of generative AI are showing a lot of promise in streamlining the pillars of autonomous navigation for off-planet driving: perception (seeing the rocks and ripples), localization (knowing where we are), and planning and control (deciding and executing the safest path),” said Vandi Verma, a space roboticist at JPL and a member of the Perseverance engineering team. “We are moving towards a day where generative AI and other smart tools will help our surface rovers handle kilometer-scale drives while minimizing operator workload, and flag interesting surface features for our science team by scouring huge volumes of rover images.”
“Imagine intelligent systems not only on the ground at Earth, but also in edge applications in our rovers, helicopters, drones, and other surface elements trained with the collective wisdom of our NASA engineers, scientists, and astronauts,” said Matt Wallace, manager of JPL’s Exploration Systems Office. “That is the game-changing technology we need to establish the infrastructure and systems required for a permanent human presence on the Moon and take the U.S. to Mars and beyond.”
This annotated orbital image depicts the AI-planned (depicted in magenta) and actual (orange) routes the Perseverance Mars rover took during its Dec. 10, 2025, drive at Jezero Crater. The drive was the second of two demonstrations showing that generative AI could be incorporated into rover route planning.NASA/JPL-Caltech/UofA More about PerseveranceManaged for NASA by Caltech, JPL is home to the Rover Operations Center (ROC). It also manages operations of the Perseverance rover on behalf of the agency’s Science Mission Directorate as part of NASA’s Mars Exploration Program portfolio.
For more information on the ROC, visit:
News Media Contacts
DC Agle
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.
818-393-9011
agle@jpl.nasa.gov
Karen Fox / Molly Wasser
NASA Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1600
karen.c.fox@nasa.gov / molly.l.wasser@nasa.gov
2026-008
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Perseverance Rover Location MapNASA’s Perseverance rover landed in Jezero Crater, an area with an ancient delta, on Feb. 18, 2021. Scroll and pan…
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NASA’s Perseverance Rover Completes First AI-Planned Drive on Mars
NASA/JPL-Caltech
The team for the six-wheeled scientist used a vision-capable AI to create a safe route over the Red Planet’s surface without the input of human route planners.
NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover has completed the first drives on another world that were planned by artificial intelligence. Executed on Dec. 8 and 10, and led by the agency’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, the demonstration used generative AI to create waypoints for Perseverance, a complex decision-making task typically performed manually by the mission’s human rover planners.
“This demonstration shows how far our capabilities have advanced and broadens how we will explore other worlds,” said NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman. “Autonomous technologies like this can help missions to operate more efficiently, respond to challenging terrain, and increase science return as distance from Earth grows. It’s a strong example of teams applying new technology carefully and responsibly in real operations.”
During the demonstration, the team leveraged a type of generative AI called vision-language models to analyze existing data from JPL’s surface mission dataset. The AI used the same imagery and data that human planners rely on to generate waypoints — fixed locations where the rover takes up a new set of instructions — so that Perseverance could safely navigate the challenging Martian terrain.
The initiative was led out of JPL’s Rover Operations Center (ROC) in collaboration with Anthropic, using the company’s Claude AI models.
This animation was created using data acquired during Perseverance’s Dec. 10, 2025, drive on Jezero Crater’s rim. Pale blue lines depict the track the rover’s wheels take. Black lines snaking out in front of the rover show the path options the rover is considering. The white terrain is a height map based on rover data. The blue circle that appears near the end of the animation is a waypoint.NASA/JPL-Caltech Progress for Mars, beyond
Mars is on average about 140 million miles (225 million kilometers) away from Earth. This vast distance creates a significant communication lag, making real-time remote operation — or “joy-sticking” — of a rover impossible. Instead, for the past 28 years, over several missions, rover routes have been planned and executed by human “drivers,” who analyze the terrain and status data to sketch a route using waypoints, which are usually spaced no more than 330 feet (100 meters) apart to avoid any potential hazards. Then they send the plans via NASA’s Deep Space Network to the rover, which executes them.
But for Perseverance’s drives on the 1,707 and 1,709 Martian days, or sols, of the mission, the team did something different: Generative AI provided the analysis of the high-resolution orbital imagery from the HiRISE (High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment) camera aboard NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter and terrain-slope data from digital elevation models. After identifying critical terrain features — bedrock, outcrops, hazardous boulder fields, sand ripples, and the like — it generated a continuous path complete with waypoints.
To ensure the AI’s instructions were fully compatible with the rover’s flight software, the engineering team also processed the drive commands through JPL’s “digital twin” (virtual replica of the rover), verifying over 500,000 telemetry variables before sending commands to Mars.
On Dec. 8, with generative AI waypoints in its memory, Perseverance drove 689 feet (210 meters). Two days later, it drove 807 feet (246 meters).
“The fundamental elements of generative AI are showing a lot of promise in streamlining the pillars of autonomous navigation for off-planet driving: perception (seeing the rocks and ripples), localization (knowing where we are), and planning and control (deciding and executing the safest path),” said Vandi Verma, a space roboticist at JPL and a member of the Perseverance engineering team. “We are moving towards a day where generative AI and other smart tools will help our surface rovers handle kilometer-scale drives while minimizing operator workload, and flag interesting surface features for our science team by scouring huge volumes of rover images.”
“Imagine intelligent systems not only on the ground at Earth, but also in edge applications in our rovers, helicopters, drones, and other surface elements trained with the collective wisdom of our NASA engineers, scientists, and astronauts,” said Matt Wallace, manager of JPL’s Exploration Systems Office. “That is the game-changing technology we need to establish the infrastructure and systems required for a permanent human presence on the Moon and take the U.S. to Mars and beyond.”
This annotated orbital image depicts the AI-planned (depicted in magenta) and actual (orange) routes the Perseverance Mars rover took during its Dec. 10, 2025, drive at Jezero Crater. The drive was the second of two demonstrations showing that generative AI could be incorporated into rover route planning.NASA/JPL-Caltech/UofA More about PerseveranceManaged for NASA by Caltech, JPL is home to the Rover Operations Center (ROC). It also manages operations of the Perseverance rover on behalf of the agency’s Science Mission Directorate as part of NASA’s Mars Exploration Program portfolio.
For more information on the ROC, visit:
News Media Contacts
DC Agle
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.
818-393-9011
agle@jpl.nasa.gov
Karen Fox / Molly Wasser
NASA Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1600
karen.c.fox@nasa.gov / molly.l.wasser@nasa.gov
2026-008
Explore More 2 min read NASA Honor Awards for Cold Atom Lab Team MembersNASA OUTSTANDING PUBLIC LEADERSHIP MEDAL Awarded for notable leadership accomplishments that have significantly influenced NASA’s…
Article 2 days ago 6 min read NASA-ISRO Radar Mission Peers Through Clouds to See Mississippi River Delta Article 3 days ago 5 min read Networks Keeping NASA’s Artemis II Mission Connected Article 4 days ago Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASA Mars 2020: Perseverance RoverNASA’s Mars Perseverance rover seeks signs of ancient life and collects samples of rock and regolith for possible Earth return.
Perseverance Rover Location MapNASA’s Perseverance rover landed in Jezero Crater, an area with an ancient delta, on Feb. 18, 2021. Scroll and pan…
Mars ExplorationMars is the only planet we know of inhabited entirely by robots. Learn more about the Mars Missions.
Mars: FactsMars is one of the most explored bodies in our solar system, and it’s the only planet where we’ve sent…
What’s Up: February 2026 Skywatching Tips from NASA
NASA’s Artemis II mission has its first opportunity to launch to the moon, Orion the Hunter takes center stage, and a planetary parade marches across the night sky.
Skywatching Highlights- Feb: Artemis II launch window opens.
- Feb: Orion the Hunter ideal viewing
- Mid-Late Feb: Planetary Parade
The Moon could have human visitors for the first time since 1972, the constellation Orion will be clear to see, and a planetary parade will sparkle across the skies.
That’s What’s Up, this February.
The Moon could have some visitors soon!
NASA’s Artemis II mission will send astronauts to fly around the Moon. The first opportunities for launch are this February.
This mission will pave the way for Artemis III, which will be the first time we’ve sent humans to the lunar surface since the final Apollo mission, Apollo 17, in 1972.
So this month, look up to the Moon shining bright in the night sky and there might be somebody looking back down at you.
Can you spot Orion the Hunter in the night sky?
NASA/JPL-CaltechYou might be able to see the line of three stars that make up Orion’s Belt, but that belt is a part of a larger constellation called Orion, named for the hunter in Greek mythology.
Above Orion’s belt, the hunter’s right shoulder is actually Betelgeuse (or Alpha Orionis), one of the brightest stars in the night sky!
NASA/JPL-CaltechMost visible in the winter, February is one of the clearest times to see Orion in the sky.
From dusk through the night, look to the southern sky and try and spot the hunter for yourself.
A planetary parade will march across the sky this month!
NASA/JPL-CaltechMid-February, Saturn will drop down toward the horizon as Venus and Mercury climb upward in the sky, meeting together in the west to southwestern sky.
Jupiter will find itself high in the sky.
And even Uranus, found in the southern sky, and Neptune, found nearby Saturn, will join the parade—though you’ll need binoculars or a telescope to spot these two far-off planets.
The planets will be visible soon after sunset throughout the month of February, but they’ll be lined up best toward the end of the month.
So, go outside and see how many planets you can find!
Here are the phases of the Moon for February.
NASA/JPL-CaltechYou can stay up to date on all of NASA’s missions exploring the solar system and beyond at science.nasa.gov.
I’m Chelsea Gohd from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and that’s What’s Up for this month.
Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASA
What’s Up
Skywatching
Galaxies
Stars
What’s Up: February 2026 Skywatching Tips from NASA
NASA’s Artemis II mission has its first opportunity to launch to the moon, Orion the Hunter takes center stage, and a planetary parade marches across the night sky.
Skywatching Highlights- Feb: Artemis II launch window opens.
- Feb: Orion the Hunter ideal viewing
- Mid-Late Feb: Planetary Parade
The Moon could have human visitors for the first time since 1972, the constellation Orion will be clear to see, and a planetary parade will sparkle across the skies.
That’s What’s Up, this February.
The Moon could have some visitors soon!
NASA’s Artemis II mission will send astronauts to fly around the Moon. The first opportunities for launch are this February.
This mission will pave the way for Artemis III, which will be the first time we’ve sent humans to the lunar surface since the final Apollo mission, Apollo 17, in 1972.
So this month, look up to the Moon shining bright in the night sky and there might be somebody looking back down at you.
Can you spot Orion the Hunter in the night sky?
NASA/JPL-CaltechYou might be able to see the line of three stars that make up Orion’s Belt, but that belt is a part of a larger constellation called Orion, named for the hunter in Greek mythology.
Above Orion’s belt, the hunter’s right shoulder is actually Betelgeuse (or Alpha Orionis), one of the brightest stars in the night sky!
NASA/JPL-CaltechMost visible in the winter, February is one of the clearest times to see Orion in the sky.
From dusk through the night, look to the southern sky and try and spot the hunter for yourself.
A planetary parade will march across the sky this month!
NASA/JPL-CaltechMid-February, Saturn will drop down toward the horizon as Venus and Mercury climb upward in the sky, meeting together in the west to southwestern sky.
Jupiter will find itself high in the sky.
And even Uranus, found in the southern sky, and Neptune, found nearby Saturn, will join the parade—though you’ll need binoculars or a telescope to spot these two far-off planets.
The planets will be visible soon after sunset throughout the month of February, but they’ll be lined up best toward the end of the month.
So, go outside and see how many planets you can find!
Here are the phases of the Moon for February.
NASA/JPL-CaltechYou can stay up to date on all of NASA’s missions exploring the solar system and beyond at science.nasa.gov.
I’m Chelsea Gohd from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and that’s What’s Up for this month.
Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASA
What’s Up
Skywatching
Galaxies
Stars
