Planet announced on October 21, 2026, that its federal subsidiary had received a NASA task order to evaluate Tanager hyperspectral data through the agency’s Commercial Satellite Data Acquisition program. The evaluation task order covers more than 250,000 square kilometers of observations drawn from recent archives and newly requested collections.
The task order concerns the scientific usefulness of a commercial dataset. Planet says NASA plans to assess the observations and produce an evaluation report that can inform broader availability to researchers. The award is an evaluation assignment; it is not a published finding that the data have passed every intended scientific test.
What Tanager Measures
Hyperspectral instruments measure light in many closely spaced wavelength bands. An ordinary color image combines broad red, green, and blue channels. A hyperspectral observation records a much more detailed spectrum, including wavelengths outside human vision. Differences in those measurements can help distinguish materials and investigate environmental conditions.
Planet’s technical documentation describes Tanager as collecting approximately 426 bands, with spacing of about five nanometers, across visible and infrared wavelengths. Its stated ground sampling is 30 meters per pixel. Spectral detail and spatial detail describe different properties: the number of bands indicates how finely the instrument separates wavelengths, and the pixel size indicates the ground area represented in an image element.
New Space Economy’s directory of hyperspectral operators places this type of measurement within commercial Earth observation. The NASA assignment is specifically about evaluating Tanager observations for research, rather than comparing every provider in that directory.
The company’s announcement identifies potential applications in atmospheric research, biodiversity, hydrology, geology, and the study of fires and floods. Each application requires appropriate processing and interpretation. A large number of spectral channels supplies measurements; researchers still need to connect those measurements to the physical property being investigated.
The Evaluation Dataset
The evaluation includes data products processed at different levels. Atmospheric correction is particularly relevant because a sensor measures light after it has traveled through the atmosphere. Estimating surface reflectance helps researchers separate the properties of the ground from atmospheric effects.
Archive data and new collections serve different purposes within the assignment. Existing observations provide material that can be examined immediately. Tasking allows new acquisitions to be requested for selected research needs. Planet says it will deliver the data through its application programming interface, a software connection that lets research systems retrieve observations.
A separate instrument assessment predates the NASA task order. Planet’s September account of a USGS evaluation reports comparisons involving Tanager observations, Landsat imagery, and reference measurements. It describes tests of image alignment, spatial response, and spectral performance. That assessment addresses sensor and data characteristics; the new NASA assignment concerns their use within its commercial-data research program.
The planned NASA report is the documented output connecting the purchased observations with future decisions about research access. The current assignment supplies archive and newly collected hyperspectral data for that evaluation. Its findings will come from the assessment rather than from the announcement of the order.
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