NASA CSDA

NASA CSDA Program

Free Access to GHGSat Methane Data for US federal research and Government Organizations

GHGSat’s high-resolution methane emissions data is available free of charge to all US federal agencies and researchers whose work is funded by the US government through NASA’s Commercial Satellite Data Acquisition (CSDA) program. Following a rigorous scientific evaluation completed in 2024, GHGSat data is now accessible via NASA’s Earthdata portal—the first commercial facility-level methane monitoring dataset to be approved under CSDA.

Data covers methane concentration maps, emission rate estimates, and per-pixel column abundances for anthropogenic and natural point sources globally from January 2021 to the present.

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About the programme

What is NASA's CSDA program?

NASA’s Earth Science Division established the Commercial Satellite Data Acquisition (CSDA) program to identify, evaluate, and acquire data from commercial satellite providers that can cost-effectively supplement and complement NASA’s existing Earth observation missions. The programme was established in 2017 and operates as a component of NASA’s Earth Science Data Systems (ESDS) Program. 

CSDA evaluates commercial datasets for scientific quality and operational suitability before making them available to the research community. In May 2023, NASA awarded GHGSat a task order to provide methane emissions data for evaluation. Following a successful assessment by a scientific evaluation team comprising researchers from NASA centres, other US government agencies, and academia, GHGSat was approved and its data made publicly available via NASA Earthdata in October 2024.

Available Data

What GHGSat datasets are available through NASA CSDA?

The dataset approved under CSDA consists of four data product types, covering global anthropogenic and natural point sources from January 2021 to present. All data is accessible via the CSDA Satellite Data Explorer (SDX) on NASA Earthdata.

How to access

Three steps to access GHGSat data through NASA CSDA

Access to GHGSat data through CSDA requires completing NASA’s authorisation process. Once approved, data is available directly through the CSDA Satellite Data Explorer.

1

Register on NASA Earthdata

Create a free account at earthdata.nasa.gov — an Earthdata Login is required to access the CSDA Satellite Data Explorer and download data.

2

Complete the CSDA authorisation form

Submit the CSDA user approval form to confirm your eligibility. The CSDA team will verify whether you qualify as a US federal agency member or federally funded researcher.

3

Browse and request data via the Satellite Data Explorer

Once approved, search for GHGSat methane emissions data through the CSDA Satellite Data Explorer (SDX). Data can be downloaded directly or via the Bulk Download Tool.

Access GHGSat data

What GHGSat data supports

Atmospheric Composition 

Methane column abundances and source attribution from point emission sources globally

Carbon Cycle & Ecosystems 

Facility-level emissions to complement regional and global carbon cycle models 

Climate Variability & Change 

Longitudinal emissions trends from industrial sectors—oil & gas, coal, landfills, agriculture 

Disasters  

Rapid emissions detection for infrastructure incidents, pipeline failures, and volcanic events 

Health & air quality 

Co-located methane emissions from industrial facilities supporting air quality research 

Energy  

Monitoring of energy sector methane losses to support US energy security and efficiency research 

On-demand webinar

Watch: How to access GHGSat data through NASA CSDA

Presented by GHGSat’s Dr. Tanya Harrison, Senior Science Advisor, and Dr. Dylan Jervis, Senior Scientist, this official NASA CSDA vendor webinar is the fastest way to get up to speed on GHGSat’s methane emissions data. The session covers the satellite constellation, available data products, how to access and work with the data through NASA Earthdata, and which research topics GHGSat’s facility-level methane monitoring is best suited for.

Watch Webinar

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Who qualifies as a researcher funded by a US federal agency?

Any researcher whose project is funded by a US federal agency qualifies including NASA, NOAA, EPA, DOE, USGS, NSF, USDA, and the Department of Defense. This includes academic researchers working on federally funded grants, postdoctoral researchers, and government scientists. Eligibility is verified by the CSDA team as part of the authorisation process. 


Which GHGSat datasets are included under NASA CSDA?

The CSDA-approved dataset includes georeferenced per-pixel methane column abundances, methane concentration maps, methane emission rate estimates with error estimates, and associated metadata for global anthropogenic and natural point sources. Coverage spans from January 2021 to the present, delivered at 48-hour latency at ~25 m spatial resolution.


What are the licence terms for data accessed through NASA CSDA?

Data is licensed for scientific and non-commercial use per the US government End User License Agreement (EULA). Commercial applications are not permitted under this programme. Data products must carry the copyright marking where YYYY is the year of image acquisition. Full terms are available on the NASA Earthdata CSDA vendor page. 


Is GHGSat data available to researchers outside the US?

The NASA CSDA programme is limited to US federal agencies and federally funded researchers. Researchers outside the US may access GHGSat data through ESA’s Earthnet Third Party Missions (TPM) programme, which is open to institutions in ESA member states, cooperating states, and Canada. Learn more about ESA data access 


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Access GHGSat methane data through NASA CSDA

Contact GHGSat’s research team if you have questions about the data before applying. 

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