Digital Surface and Terrain Models from Vantor’s Precision3D Product Line Added to Satellite Data Explorer
NASA’s Commercial Satellite Data Acquisition (CSDA) program announces the addition of three digital elevation and terrain products from Vantor’s Precision3D product line to its Satellite Data Explorer (SDX) data access and discovery tool.
Products include:
| Digital Surface Model (DSM) at 1 meter spatial resolution | The DSM is a 3D elevation model derived from images captured by Vantor’s Worldview satellite constellation. It provides precise measurements on all surfaces and terrain and is available in standard formats for easy integration into a range of workflows and analyses. It is suitable for a range of applications requiring detailed elevation data, such as urban planning, environmental monitoring, disaster mitigation and response, and terrain mapping. | |
| Digital Terrain Model (DTM) at 1 meter spatial resolution | The DTM is a 3D elevation model derived from the DSM that offers bare earth elevation data by removing aerial features such as vegetation and buildings and is designed to analyze terrain and topography. Created with automated processing techniques, DTM ensures consistency across all types of terrain and is available in a variety of user-friendly formats. | |
| Elevation package (DSM + DTM) at spatial resolution of 1, 2 and 4 meters | The Elevation Pack, which combines DSM and DTM products, provides a detailed view of aerial features and the underlying bare earth. With global coverage and high-resolution data at 1, 2 and 4 meter resolution, this product offers reliable elevation information across all terrain types, making it suitable for a range of applications from slope analysis to flood modeling. |
“Digital elevation models are fundamental geospatial infrastructure for NASA’s science community, and their inclusion in the CSDA program ensures broad and consistent access to high-quality commercial field data that improve geometric accuracy, support Earth system and hazard modeling, and expand NASA’s capabilities in support of Earth action priorities,” said Dana Ostrenga, project manager for CSDA.
The SDX allows users to search, discover and access data acquired through the CSDA program. The web-based tool features streamlined data uploading, automated quota tracking, and a new coverage map that provides a high-level overview of the regions covered by data discoverable through the SDX for a specified month and year. Currently, SDX provides access to the EarthDEM digital elevation model created by the Polar Geospatial Center at the University of Minnesota and now by Vantor (formerly Maxar). For a summary of NASA commercial partner datasets available in SDX, visit the SDX website.
Researchers wishing to access this data in SDX can use their Earthdata connection to authenticate and initiate data download requests. Data will be made available for download upon approval and acceptance of the End User License Agreement (EULA). Use of these digital elevation and digital terrain products is governed by a United States Government End User License Agreement (USG EULA).
To order data from SDX, users must create an account and be logged in to NASA Earthdata. (The first attempt to use SDX will redirect users to Earthdata Login, where they will be prompted to enter their Earthdata credentials and agree to the terms of the EULA.) Users must agree to the terms of the EULA before they can request data. Note: All data requests must be approved by CSDA data managers.
NASA’s Earth Sciences Division (ESD) created the CSDA program to identify, evaluate, and acquire data from commercial providers to support NASA’s Earth science research and applications. NASA recognizes the potential of commercial satellite constellations to advance Earth system science and its applications for the benefit of society and believes that commercially acquired data can augment Earth observations acquired by NASA, other U.S. government agencies, and NASA’s international partners.
All CSDA contracted vendor data is evaluated by investigator-led CSDA project teams who assess the value of adding a vendor’s data to the CSDA databases based on their quality and how they could benefit in the context of NASA Earth science research and applications. To learn more about the program, its business partners, the data evaluation process and more, visit the CSDA website.
For more information about the CSDA Program SDX, see the SDX User Guide.
