NASA Seeks Commercial Partners for Earth Science Satellite Operations

Agency looks to enable more effective use of resources and advance commercial remote sensing industry

Feb. 3, 2026 at 3:55am

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NASA is seeking industry and academic input on potential partnerships to support operations and data collection for its Terra, Aqua, and Aura Earth science satellite missions. The agency aims to encourage commercial participation in its missions and enable more effective use of agency resources, as well as advance the commercial remote sensing industry.

Why it matters

NASA's Earth science satellites have provided invaluable data for research and applications over the past decades. By opening up opportunities for commercial partners to participate in mission operations, NASA hopes to leverage external expertise and resources to sustain these critical Earth observation capabilities while also fostering the growth of the commercial remote sensing sector.

The details

NASA issued a request for information to assess interest in operating and maintaining one or more of the on-orbit missions, as well as in innovative partnership arrangements related to mission operations and science data activities. The agency is open to various partnership models, including partial or full use of existing NASA operational teams under reimbursable terms, as well as partnerships involving consortia or multiple partners for a single mission.

  • The Terra satellite, launched in 1999, is projected to have sufficient power to operate until February 2027.
  • The Aqua satellite, launched in 2002, is expected to have available power until September 2027.
  • The Aura satellite, launched in 2004, is projected to have sufficient power until July 2028.

The players

NASA

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the United States government agency responsible for the civilian space program, as well as aeronautics and space research.

Beth Weinstein

The primary point of contact for this request for information, from NASA's Earth Science Division, Science Mission Directorate.

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What’s next

NASA said it may hold discussions with individual respondents, issue an Announcement for Partnership Proposals, or pursue both approaches, depending on the responses received.

The takeaway

By seeking commercial partners for its long-running Earth science satellite missions, NASA aims to leverage external expertise and resources to sustain these critical observation capabilities while also fostering the growth of the commercial remote sensing sector, which could benefit research and applications communities worldwide.