In response to the pace of innovation from the commercial aerospace industry, NOAA is leveraging those opportunities to buy weather data from the commercial sector as part of the agency’s hybrid satellite architecture of both commercial and government-owned satellites.
NOAA’s National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service (NESDIS) will host a Commercial Data Program (CDP) Industry Day, 1:00–2:30 p.m. EDT April 9, 2026, for the purpose of updating the commercial community on the current status of the CDP and future plans to test and acquire commercial data that meets NOAA’s mission requirements. This will include details of the upcoming Space-Based Environmental Monitoring (SBEM) Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract. NESDIS released a draft Request for Proposals (RFP) on SAM.gov on March 12, 2026.
NESDIS is evolving how it works with commercial companies. The CDP Industry Day is intended to both inform private sector vendors on updates to how NESDIS is piloting and purchasing commercial data, but also allow NESDIS to gather information from the commercial Earth observation sector that will help shape future plans.
“NOAA views commercial data as essential and complementary to the government weather hybrid satellite system,” said Natalie Laudier, Commercial Data Program Manager, NESDIS Office of Systems Architecture and Engineering. “We value the commercial satellite data and our partnership with the private sector as a means of producing better, faster, and more useful weather data for the nation while reducing costs to the taxpayer.”
Speakers at the CDP Industry Day will include Taylor Jordan, Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Environmental Observation and Prediction; Irene Parker, Acting Assistant Administrator for NESDIS; and Natalie Laudier.
Presenters will offer information on CDP objectives to support NOAA’s observational requirements, including data pilot projects for microwave soundings and wildfire imagery, and expanding purchases.
Interested parties can register here.