NASA AWARDS CONTRACT FOR COMMERCIAL SATELLITE DATA ACQUISITION

Data from Edmonton’s hyperspectral satellite company Wyvern  will support research at NASA after the company was selected to jointhe Commercial Satellite Data Acquisition (CSDA) program.

WATERTODAY has been following Wyvern since its inception in 2020 as a University of Alberta undergrad project

WT followed Wyvern in 2021 into the business space

Wyvern has become one of Alberta’s biggest start-up success stories since launching its first satellites in 2023, the company has signed investment deals with NordSpace and received support under Canada’s Defence Industrial Strategy. The company has also attracted significant interest south of the border and abroad, inking partnerships with foreign governments and investors.

In June 2026 NASA selected Wyvern.

“NASA has selected eight new companies and will acquire new data products from six existing Commercial Satellite Data Acquisition contract holders to expand the range of commercial satellite data available to researchers, civil agencies, and decision-makers. Such measurements supplement NASA’s Earth satellites by contributing high-resolution and frequent observations to enhance the agency’s set of data. Collectively, NASA and commercial Earth observations provide insight into our home planet – benefitting Americans, providing environmental intelligence, strengthening disaster response, and improving public safety.”

–NASA headquarters news release

Wyvern is among the 14 companies that were selected to participate in the CSDA program. Under the CSDA, NASA purchases Earth observation data from commercial satellite companies and uses it to fuel research and contribute to the wider earth sciences field. Wyvern’s admittance to the CSDA marks the first time a pre-Series A company has been accepted.

“I'm incredibly proud of my team atWyvern for being selected for NASA's Commercial Smallsat Data Acquisition (CSDA) program,” Christopher Robson, CEO & Co-Founder, Wyvern said.

CSDA is how NASA brings commercial Earth observation data to its researchers and the broader U.S. Earth science community. Joining it puts Wyvern's hyperspectral data alongside a select group of commercial providers trusted to support NASA's science.

“What makes this milestone matter to us is where we sit on the list. Earning a place this early says less about how much we've raised and more about the pipeline and the business we've built to get good data into customers' hands. It comes down to the quality and reliability of that data.”

Wyvern’s first-generation hyperspectral satellites, Dragonette, capture high-resolution hyperspectral imagery across 31 bands in the VNIR spectrum at 5.3-metre ground sampling distance.

“That clarity already helps teams in agriculture, energy, defence, and environmental management to make faster, more confident decisions. Now it’s available to support NASA’s Earth science work too. This is a meaningful step toward what drives us: a better Earth from Space.