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NASA Welcomes Latvia as Newest Artemis Accords Signatory  

The Republic of Latvia signed the Artemis Accords Monday during a ceremony hosted by NASA at the agency’s headquarters in Washington, becoming the 62nd nation to commit to responsible space exploration for all humanity. 

“We are proud to welcome Latvia to the Artemis Accords,” said NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman. “Each new signatory strengthens a coalition committed to the transparent and peaceful exploration of space. The accords are the foundation for real missions and real cooperation on the lunar surface, and Latvia’s commitment strengthens our shared vision for this next great era of exploration.”

Latvia’s Minister for Education and Science Dace Melbārde signed on behalf of the country. Chargé d’affaires a.i. at the Embassy of the Republic of Latvia to the United States Jānis Beķeris and U.S. Under Secretary of State for Economic Affairs Jacob Helberg also participated in the event. 

“Today, Latvia aligns with a shared vision for humanity beyond Earth, grounded in international cooperation and the peaceful, transparent, and responsible exploration of outer space,” said Melbārde. “By joining the Artemis Accords, we make a clear commitment to these principles. Latvia already contributes to the global space ecosystem through its industry and research, and we look forward to the opportunity to deepen cooperation with the United States and NASA, contributing to future space activities under the Artemis framework. Participation in the Artemis Accords is also an investment in the development of our students, researchers, and innovators.” 

Last month, NASA announced plans to return to the Moon routinely and affordably, establishing an enduring presence and building a sustained lunar base. More than 40 Artemis Accords countries across six continents sent representatives to Washington for the event, announcing new opportunities for exploration and science. The group represented more than two thirds of the current Artemis Accords signatories.  

In 2020, during the first Trump Administration, the United States, led by NASA and the U.S. Department of State, joined with seven other founding nations to establish the Artemis Accords, responding to the growing interest in lunar activities by both governments and private companies. The accords introduced the first set of practical principles aimed at enhancing the safety and coordination between like-minded nations as they explore the Moon, Mars, and beyond.  

Signing the Artemis Accords means committing to explore peaceably and transparently, to render aid to those in need, to enable access to scientific data that all of humanity can learn from, to ensure activities do not interfere with those of others, and to preserve historically significant sites and artifacts by developing best practices for space exploration for the benefit of all. 

More countries are expected to sign the Artemis Accords in the months and years ahead, as NASA continues its work to establish a safe, peaceful, and prosperous future in space. 

Learn more about the Artemis Accords at: 

https://www.nasa.gov/artemis-accords

-end-

Camille Gallo / Elizabeth Shaw 
Headquarters, Washington 
202-358-1600 
camille.m.gallo@nasa.gov / elizabeth.a.shaw@nasa.gov 

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Elizabeth Shaw

Wheels Up for X-59

NASA’s X-59 quiet supersonic research aircraft flies over the Mojave Desert in California in this April 14, 2026, image. The transition to flying with wheels up is a key milestone and an important step in the experimental aircraft’s test campaign.

The X-59 has made its highest and fastest flights so far, expanding its operational range and making progress toward supersonic flight. In future flights, the team will also be looking at factors like the performance of its controls, loads and structural dynamics, and subsystems including hydraulics, fuel, avionics, landing gear, and more. They will also be monitoring the performance of the eXternal Vision System, the series of cameras located on the X-59 connected to a display in the cockpit. The system takes the place of a traditional forward windscreen.

NASA’s Quesst mission, which features the one-of-a-kind X-59 aircraft, will demonstrate technology to fly supersonic, or faster than the speed of sound, without generating loud sonic booms.

Keep up with the latest X-59 news on the NASA Quesst blog.

Image credit: NASA

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Monika Luabeya

CSDA Quality Assessment Report Evaluates Satellogic NewSat Data

A new quality assessment report from NASA’s Commercial Satellite Data Acquisition (CSDA) program approves the use of data from Satellogic’s NewSat constellation, which includes the Mark IV and Mark V sensor generations, for scientific use.

Issued March 9, 2026, the Commercial Satellite Data Acquisition Program Satellogic NewSat Radiometric & Geometric Quality Assessment Report documents the evaluation process of the NASA subject matter experts (SMEs) enlisted to analyze the quality of the constellation’s radiometric and geometric data products.

The SMEs analyzed 60 top-of-atmosphere reflectance images collected between 2021 and 2025, focusing on radiometric and geometric performance across multiple sites. Results showed generally strong radiometric accuracy, with the majority of spectral bands performing within 10% of Aqua MODIS reference values and signal-to-noise ratios meeting “Good” rating criteria for more than half of the bands. Geometric performance exceeded their specified sensor spatial response specifications, with some variability noted between sensor generations. (The Mark IV received an “Excellent” grade for sensor spatial response while the Mark V received a “Basic” grade.)

Since the release of the report, Satellogic has changed aspects of their data processing, in part to address findings and recommendations in the report. CSDA is engaged in a quality assessment of their revised products and will report on the results in the near future.

About the CSDA Program

NASA’s Earth Science Division (ESD) established the CSDA program to identify, evaluate, and acquire commercial remote sensing data that enhances NASA’s Earth science research and applications. CSDA provides structured on-ramping opportunities for emerging commercial satellite data vendors, enabling NASA to continuously integrate innovative data sources as the private sector evolves. By leveraging these partnerships, NASA’s ESD aims to accelerate scientific discovery and expand applications of Earth observation data for the NASA Earth science research and applications community and societal benefit.

Since its initial pilot, the CSDA Program has conducted three on-ramp activities, resulting in the addition of several vendors into sustainment. Since then, the program has streamlined its evaluation process by introducing high-quality, SME-led data assessments, accelerating reviews and strengthening NASA’s engagement with the rapidly growing commercial data ecosystem. The CSDA’s evaluation criteria include:

• Accessibility of data
• Completeness and accuracy of metadata
• User support services provided by the commercial entity
• Usefulness of submitted data for science and applications

This approach ensures NASA gains timely access to high-quality, mission-relevant commercial data, and provides valuable feedback to private-sector providers, fostering innovation, improved data products, and alignment of industry capabilities with NASA’s evolving scientific needs.

Resources

To read the CSDA’s Satellogic NewSat Radiometric & Geometric Quality Assessment Report, visit the CSDA website.

View the recent CSDA Vendor Focus Webinar on Satellogic on the CSDA program’s YouTube channel.

For more information about the CSDA program’s process for identifying commercial satellite vendors for on-ramp and evaluation, visit the CSDA website.

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Webinar 4/29: NASA CSDA Program Vendor Focus- MDA Space

NASA’s Earth Science Division (ESD) established the Commercial Satellite Data Acquisition (CSDA) program to explore the potential of commercial satellite data in advancing the agency’s Earth science research and application objectives. The program aims to identify, assess, and acquire data from commercial providers, which may offer a cost-effective means of supplementing Earth observations collected by NASA, other U.S. Government agencies, and international collaborators.

During this NASA CSDA program vendor webinar, speakers will introduce MDA Space and the company’s satellite constellation; show participants how to discover, access, and work with these satellite C-band synthetic aperture radar (SAR) products; and speak to how these data products complement NASA Earth science data holdings for research and applications. Additional topics will focus on the services available to data users and getting assistance with the NASA CSDA program vendor MDA Space datasets, services, and tools.

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