Event Overview - Amendment 1.pdf

NOTICE: Amendment #1 July 21, 2026: The amendment extends the deadline for registration through July 28, 2026. New text is in bold and deleted text is struck through. There are no other changes to the text.

Sustainable Land Imaging (SLI) Commercialization Plan Industry Week Overview

Issuing Agencies: National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) | U.S.

Geological Survey (USGS) Industry Week Dates: August 31 – September 4, 2026 Location: USGS Headquarters, Reston VA

1. Summary

NASA and USGS are committed to fostering a healthy, competitive, and sustainable U.S. Earth observation marketplace, one in which government investment catalyzes long-term commercial growth, reduces barriers to entry, and creates enduring market opportunities that extend well beyond any single government procurement.

NASA’s Science Mission Directorate (SMD), Earth Science Division (ESD), and USGS invite representatives from the Earth Observation (EO) industry, data analytics firms, and ground-based calibration and validation (Cal/Val) spectrometer and/or thermal radiometer manufacturers to participate in the Sustainable Land Imaging (SLI) Commercialization Plan Industry Week, to be held August 31 – September 4, 2026, at USGS Headquarters, Reston VA.

The purpose of Industry Week is to inform the private sector of NASA and USGS's commercialization strategy for the SLI program and to signal the government's clear intent for industry to play a significantly expanded and enduring role in the future of the Landsat program. The event will also feature a series of in-depth, one-on-one discussions with invited participants to explore proposed architectures and discuss priority products, technology gaps, and commercial readiness.

This event reflects a deliberate strategic shift in how NASA and USGS envision the production and delivery of Landsat-quality data products and services, moving toward a commercially enabled model in which the commercial sector contributes in meaningful, sustained, and compensated ways. This strategy is not simply about procuring commercial data. Industry Week is an invitation to help shape that future.

To register, visit the event website and express interest by 11:59 PM EDT on July 28 July 21, 2026.

2. Background: The Sustainable Land Imaging Program

Since the launch of Landsat 1 in 1972, the Landsat program has provided the world's longest continuous moderate-resolution record of the global land surface. Managed jointly by NASA and USGS, Landsat data underpin thousands of scientific, governmental, and commercial applications ranging from agriculture and forestry https://www.eventbrite.com/e/sustainable-land-imaging-sli-commercialization-plan-industry-week-2026-tickets-1993922873991 monitoring to disaster response, water resource management, and urban planning. The program's commitment to open, free, and timely data access has made it one of the most widely used Earth observation datasets in the world.

NASA and USGS are jointly committed to ensuring the long-term continuity and sustainability of Landsat observations and derived products. With Landsat 10 targeted for launch in 2031, NASA and USGS recognize that the period between now and that milestone presents a critical and time-sensitive opportunity to establish the commercial frameworks, technical workflows, and partnership models that will define how the Landsat program operates in the decades ahead.

The continuity of the Landsat data record and the scientific and societal value it generates depends on acting now to build the commercial ecosystem that will underpin and complement government Landsat operations. The commercial EO sector has matured significantly, with a growing number of providers capable of supplying high-quality multispectral, hyperspectral, and thermal imagery at moderate resolution. NASA and USGS view this maturation as an opportunity to leverage commercial investment and innovation, to reduce the cost and risk of government-only approaches, and to build a marketplace where government and industry needs are mutually reinforcing. The SLI commercialization plan, or strategy, is designed to realize that opportunity in a structured, deliberate, and equitable way.

3. SLI Commercialization Strategy: Overview

NASA and USGS plan to pursue a product-based commercialization approach that leverages commercial Earth observation (EO) data sources, private-sector analytics capabilities, and commercial Cal/Val technologies. This planned approach envisions that commercial providers supply Landsat-compatible data; contribute to the generation of higher-order science products; and support future Cal/Val infrastructures through autonomous spectrometry and/or thermal radiometry needed to ensure data quality and long-term consistency with the Landsat archive.

A foundational principle of this strategy is the government's commitment to market stewardship — ensuring that its procurement activities are structured in ways that promote competition, support the growth of new and existing commercial providers, and avoid creating dependencies that could undermine the long-term health of the U.S. EO marketplace. NASA and USGS intend to be responsible and forward-looking market participants, using our purchasing power and technical expertise to help establish standards, reduce risk, and expand the overall market for Landsat-quality Earth observation data and products. Core elements of the commercialization strategy include:

• Demonstration Phase: In Fiscal Year (FY) 2027 and FY 2028 (October 1, 2026 –

September 30, 2028), NASA and USGS will support industry demonstration studies to generate select Landsat-compatible products from commercial data.

These demonstrations will serve as the foundational input to the workflow and evaluation pipeline and will inform future procurement frameworks.

• Workflow Architecture: NASA and USGS are jointly developing a processing workflow, adapted from the Landsat processing method, to ingest commercially acquired data and generate provisional Landsat-equivalent science products.

This is achieved through frequent (Level 1; L1) cross-calibration via Landsat and other trusted space-borne assets, complemented by continuous evaluation and validation of derived surface reflectance and temperature products using ground-based reference data. This workflow will be prototyped and tested in the demonstration phase, during which commercial L1 data will be actively processed and evaluated against established Landsat quality and consistency standards.

• Product-Based Approach: The strategy identifies specific products as the primary unit of commercialization, enabling industry to propose diverse technical approaches that meet defined product specifications. This approach provides flexibility for commercial innovation while ensuring that government requirements for data quality, consistency, and continuity are maintained. The government will publish requirements for high-priority products to allow for community-wide engagement with the EO industry capable of meeting Landsat needs.

• Ground-based Cal/Val: Ensuring that commercially sourced data meet Landsat radiometric and geometric standards requires robust and sustained calibration and validation capabilities. NASA and USGS will develop methodology, standards, and requirements and are seeking input from in situ Cal/Val instrument manufacturers with capacity to build autonomous spectrometers (380 nm to 2500 nm) and/or thermal radiometers as essential partners in the SLI commercial ecosystem. Investment in Cal/Val capabilities is viewed as a long-term market enabler, supporting the continuous evaluation and harmonization of integrated commercial-Landsat products and broader adoption and credibility of the U.S. EO marketplace.

• Phased Product Plan: NASA and USGS are developing a structured work plan to systematically build, test, and demonstrate the commercial data and product generation ecosystem in advance of the Landsat 10 launch in 2031. Section 4 summarizes the priority products.

USGS and NASA intend to move toward a model in which commercial providers are integral contributors to the Landsat program — not peripheral vendors, but mission-critical partners in sustaining one of the world's most valuable Earth observation records. The work conducted in FY27 will lay the technical and commercial foundation for a transformed Landsat ecosystem that is ready to operate at scale alongside Landsat 10 and beyond.

4. Priority Products: Near-Term and Future Targets

The SLI commercialization strategy is organized around specific Earth observation products. The government has identified three USGS products as FY27 priorities, selected on the basis of their scientific value and maturity, strong operational demand, and near-term commercial feasibility. These products will serve as the initial test cases for the government-supplied workflow and algorithms during the prototype phase.

Later in FY27, the product portfolio will expand to include additional targets, reflecting the growing maturity of commercial capabilities and the broader range of applications the SLI program is designed to support. The product-based approach is intentionally designed to create durable commercial market opportunities. By defining and broadly communicating product specifications and establishing government as a reliable and structured buyer of Landsat-quality products, USGS and NASA aim to provide the demand certainty that commercial providers need to justify sustained investment in EO data acquisition and product development capabilities.

4.1 Quick Win (Priority) Products

These three products will anchor the workflow prototype activities, providing concrete and measurable benchmarks against which the performance of commercially sourced products can be established. Commercially sourced products are expected to be harmonized and remain compatible with Landsat-derived products. More information on product requirements will be provided on August 31.

4.2 Expanding Product Portfolio

NASA and USGS will begin expanding the product portfolio in early FY27.

Evapotranspiration (ET) has been identified as an early expansion product, reflecting strong and sustained operational demand from the water resources, agricultural, and land management communities. Additional future target product areas under consideration include, but are not limited to:

• Vegetation indices and land cover classification

• Snow and ice extent and dynamics

• Urban extent and impervious surface mapping

• Soil moisture proxies and indicators

The specific product roadmap beyond FY27 will be shaped in part by the outcomes of Industry Week and the follow-on industry engagements, the results of FY27 pipeline prototyping and demonstration activities, and ongoing engagement with the broader

Product Description

Bathymetry Derivation of shallow water depth from multispectral imagery, supporting coastal management, navigation safety, aquatic habitat assessment, and infrastructure planning

Surface Water Extent

Detection and characterization of surface water extent, inundation dynamics, and water body changes, supporting water resource management, flood monitoring, and drought assessment

Burned Area and Burn Severity

Mapping of fire-affected land surface extent and burn severity, supporting wildfire response operations, post-fire recovery monitoring, carbon accounting, and ecosystem assessment

Landsat user community. NASA and USGS recognize that a robust and expanding product portfolio is also a key driver of long-term commercial market growth and that government investment in product development today creates the market demand signals that attract sustained private-sector investment tomorrow.

5. Industry Week Format and Schedule

Industry Week is structured to facilitate both broad community engagement and focused dialogue between government and industry. The week is organized in two distinct phases designed to maximize the value of both group and one-on-one interactions.

Community Briefing Monday, August 31, 2026, Time: 1:30 pm | Half-Day (Open to Confirmed Registrants) In-Person Location: Dallas Peck Auditorium, USGS Headquarters, Reston VA Virtual participation will be available.

Industry Week opens on Monday, August 31 with a half-day community briefing open to all registered and confirmed participants. Holding the briefing on Monday ensures that all participants begin the week's one-on-one sessions with a shared and current understanding of the government's strategy and priorities, allowing the one-on-one discussions beginning Tuesday to be focused, substantive, and productive. NASA and USGS leadership and program representatives will cover the following topics:

• Introduction to the SLI program and its continuity objectives

• Overview of the SLI commercialization strategy, goals, and near-term priorities

• The product-based approach and the envisioned role of commercial providers

• Design and development status of the NASA/USGS processing workflow

• Quick win products and the expanding product portfolio

• Anticipated pathways for future industry engagement

Industry One-on-one Deep-Dive Sessions (By-Invitation Only) Tuesday, September 1 – Friday, September 4, 2026 Location: TBD, USGS Headquarters, Reston VA

Following the community briefing, NASA and USGS will host a series of structured one-on-one sessions with registered and invited companies from Tuesday through Friday.

The final location for one-on-one sessions will be communicated to invited participants prior to the start of Industry Week. These sessions are designed to support deeper, company-specific conversations on topics including:

• Proposed architecture and long-term considerations to support the priority products and the broader Landsat Program

• Technical capabilities relevant to commercial data sources and Landsat compatibility

• Technology needs to support improvements in the quality of observation and products

• Data analytics and science product generation capabilities

• Robotic/automated Cal/Val instrumentation and methodologies

• Potential partnership and business models for sustained commercial engagement Each session will be pre-scheduled based on registration requests. Scheduling details and session confirmation will be communicated via email to confirmed and registered participants following the close of the registration.

6. Who Should Attend

NASA and USGS encourage participation from organizations with capabilities and interests relevant to any element of the SLI commercialization strategy, including but not limited to:

• Earth observation satellite operators and data providers with the ability to supply

Landsat-compatible multispectral, hyperspectral, and/or thermal imagery approaching SLI technical standards

• Data analytics and product generation firms with demonstrated capabilities in land surface, water, fire, or other Earth observation-derived products

• Ground-based calibration and validation spectrometer and/or thermal radiometer manufacturers with technologies relevant to hyperspectral radiometric characterization of EO data and products.

NASA and USGS are particularly interested in engaging new-to-government companies and emerging commercial providers whose participation would contribute to a broader, more competitive, and more resilient U.S. EO marketplace. Both domestic and international companies are welcome to participate.

7. Registration and Points of Contact

Advance Notice of Interest to Participate (NOIP) or registration for Industry Week, including both the Monday community briefing and requests for one-on-one sessions, must be submitted no later than 11:59 PM EDT on July 28 July 21, 2026.

Please note that the USGS HQ in Reston host has a 5-week lead time requirement to screen foreign nationals for in-person attendance. Once the screening process is complete, invited registrants will receive confirmation emails.

To express your interest in participating, please fill out the registration form available under this link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/sustainable-land-imaging-sli-commercialization-plan-industry-week-2026-tickets-1993922873991

It is not NASA's or USGS's intent to publicly disclose proprietary information submitted as part of registration or shared during one-on-one sessions.

Information identified as proprietary or confidential will be protected to the full extent permitted by applicable law, including the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/sustainable-land-imaging-sli-commercialization-plan-industry-week-2026-tickets-1993922873991 https://www.eventbrite.com/e/sustainable-land-imaging-sli-commercialization-plan-industry-week-2026-tickets-1993922873991

Please email questions or comments to both points of contact using subject line “SLI Industry Week”. Registration requests will not be accepted via email.

NASA Point of Contact:

Nima Pahlevan, Program Scientist & Manager Earth Science Division, Science Mission Directorate National Aeronautics and Space Administration Washington, DC 20546 Email: nima.pahlevan@nasa.gov

USGS Point of Contact:

Daniel W. Opstal, Deputy Program Coordinator National Land Imaging Program U.S. Geological Survey Reston, VA 20192 Email: dopstal@usgs.gov

8. Important Notes

This announcement is issued for informational and engagement purposes only and does not represent a Request for Proposals (RFP), Request for Information (RFI), or Invitation for Bid (IFB). No proposals are being solicited at this time.

Industry Week does not constitute a solicitation for proposals, and no contract or other type of award will result directly from participation. Participation in Industry Week does not confer any competitive advantage in future procurements.

The Government will not reimburse costs incurred in preparation for or participation in Industry Week. NASA and USGS reserve the right to modify the format, schedule, or scope of Industry Week at any time.

Responses to this announcement are subject to the restrictions placed on NASA by SEC. 526 of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2024 that prohibit bilateral relationships with China. Details are available at:

https://www.congress.gov/118/plaws/publ42/PLAW-118publ42.pdf and at:

https://science.nasa.gov/researchers/sara/faqs/prc-faq-roses/.

mailto:nima.pahlevan@nasa.gov mailto:dopstal@usgs.gov https://www.congress.gov/118/plaws/publ42/PLAW-118publ42.pdf https://science.nasa.gov/researchers/sara/faqs/prc-faq-roses/