GEOSPATIAL FRONTIERS

A Publication by Project Geospatial

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Geospatial Frontiers, a new publication from Project Geospatial, brings together leading voices and experts from across the geospatial ecosystem to tackle the industry's most pressing challenges. Through in-depth articles and discussions, Geospatial Frontiers aims to explore innovative solutions and spark critical conversations that will shape the future of geospatial technology and its applications.

Contributing Authors

Adam Simmons Adam Simmons
Keith Barber Keith Barber
Fred Woods Fred Woods
Chris Vaughan Chris Vaughan
Matthew Husted Matthew Husted
Jessica Calloway Jessica Calloway
The Landsat Commercial Transition: The Hard Part Is Making the Economics Work
Government & Policy Adam Simmons Government & Policy Adam Simmons

The Landsat Commercial Transition: The Hard Part Is Making the Economics Work

NASA and the USGS are preparing for a historic shift: transitioning the Landsat program to rely on commercial Earth observation data by 2035. But as the Sustainable Land Imaging (SLI) Commercial Transition Initiative moves forward, it revives a decades-old question: what happens when a foundational public science mission is forced to operate under commercial economics? Explore the complex history of Landsat commercialization, the downstream economic value of free and open-access imagery, and the geopolitical risks of relying on the "New Space" market to sustain a 50-year scientific record.

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