Planet Labs flock release
Planet began sending its first "flock" of Doves from the International Space Station in 2014. Now, the company operates the world's largest constellation of Earth observation satellites. Credit: Planet

WASHINGTON — NASA is ready to move ahead with plans to purchase Earth science data from commercial smallsat companies as it weighs the balance of large and small satellite systems to meet its research needs.

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Jeff Foust writes about space policy, commercial space, and related topics for SpaceNews. He earned a Ph.D. in planetary sciences from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a bachelor’s degree with honors in geophysics and planetary science...