NASA’s Commercial Satellite Data Acquisition (CSDA) Program released a new dashboard that lets authorized users submit and track proposals for yet-to-be-collected data from CSDA’s commercial partners.
The Data Acquisition Request System enables approved users to task — meaning request future data — from a CSDA commercial partner’s satellite. If the request is approved, it will be processed by the vendor and the requested data will be downloadable through the dashboard. By providing these services in a single, centralized system, CSDA aims to make requesting future data from its vendors more efficient and user-friendly.
The Data Acquisition Request System is part of CSDA's Satellite Data Explorer (SDX), an online tool for searching, discovering, and accessing the commercial satellite data acquired by NASA. To make a proposal through SDX, authorized users submit a form detailing their data needs, which is then followed by a series of email exchanges among users, CSDA Program staff, and vendors discussing the proposal. The process includes in-depth proposal reviews by CSDA to ensure the requested data fall within the program’s budget and the vendor’s capabilities. The Data Acquisition Request System displays all of these interactions in the dashboard to help CSDA and users efficiently stay abreast of each proposal’s status and any actions required to keep it moving through the review process.
In addition to expediting user proposals, tracking these unique requests with the system will help CSDA identify trends and gaps in its offerings as it looks to expands its commercial satellite data catalog. This ability to zero in on unmet user needs supports the program’s goal of expanding the use of commercial data within NASA’s data-user community.
“Expanding the use of commercial data is a big part of this effort,” said Aaron Kaulfus, CSDA Data Management Team Lead. “We want to grow the audience of people who use our data and we want to do it efficiently, but for that to happen, we need information about the data that users need. Along with direct feedback from users themselves, the Data Acquisition Request System will help us get it.”
Become a CSDA Authorized User
New users must complete the CSDA authentication and authorization process prior to submitting a data request. To become an authorized user, one must complete and submit the CSDA Authorization form. Following submission, the CSDA Program’s Data Management Team will review the information provided by the requestor in the CSDA Program Data Authorization Form and verify that the requestor is authorized to request and access data. After review by the Data Management Team, the user will be notified of authorization status. Authorized users can then proceed to order data. Unauthorized users can search for data, but not order it.
Learn more about requirements for ordering data through SDX.