NASA is on a mission to revolutionize the way we observe and utilize Earth's surface with its latest "Space to Soil Challenge". By harnessing advancements in commercial space technology, artificial intelligence, and edge computing, scientists are now able to collect data not just passively, but actively interpret and respond to changing environmental conditions in real-time. This innovation has far-reaching implications for land-focused applications such as regenerative agriculture, sustainable forestry, and broader land resilience efforts.
The challenge lies in designing small satellites that can adapt their sensing capabilities, processing power, and bandwidth on the fly, based on dynamic signals and algorithmic insights rather than fixed schedules or static acquisition plans. The NASA Earth Science Technology Office is inviting participants to submit innovative mission concepts that meet these criteria.
Participants are encouraged to develop solutions that leverage both hardware-oriented and software-oriented approaches - or a combination of the two. The focus is not on developing new agricultural or forestry science, but rather on improving how SmallSats can sense, process, and deliver information to enable these applications.
The grand prize for this challenge is $400,000 in total prizes, with a deadline for submission set for May 4th, 2026. For those interested in participating, more information can be found on the NASA website at https://nasa-space-to-soil.org/.
The challenge lies in designing small satellites that can adapt their sensing capabilities, processing power, and bandwidth on the fly, based on dynamic signals and algorithmic insights rather than fixed schedules or static acquisition plans. The NASA Earth Science Technology Office is inviting participants to submit innovative mission concepts that meet these criteria.
Participants are encouraged to develop solutions that leverage both hardware-oriented and software-oriented approaches - or a combination of the two. The focus is not on developing new agricultural or forestry science, but rather on improving how SmallSats can sense, process, and deliver information to enable these applications.
The grand prize for this challenge is $400,000 in total prizes, with a deadline for submission set for May 4th, 2026. For those interested in participating, more information can be found on the NASA website at https://nasa-space-to-soil.org/.