NOAA’s Satellite and Information Services (NESDIS) supports the full and open exchange of environmental satellite data and products in compliance with applicable laws, international frameworks, national and agency policies, and resource constraints. Below are the guidelines for completing a Data Access Request (DAR) Form along with a summary of the evaluation process.

When requests for satellite data or products cannot be approved for direct access via the NESDIS Operational Subscription Service (OSS), or are unavailable through public channels, NESDIS strives to identify alternative distribution channels. If suitable options exist, applicants will be routed to external providers that satisfy the requirements detailed in their DAR Form.

Access decisions for the OSS are determined by NESDIS based on two primary elements:

• The affiliation of requesting organization, and
• The specific application intended for the satellite data or products.

Enhanced priority for data access is granted to entities that meet the following criteria:

• Possess statutory authority or a core mission aligning with the requested data;
• Have active cooperative agreements with NESDIS or other applicable legislative authorization; and
• Exhibit a clear operational need for near-real-time data and products to support time-sensitive applications.

Under the Federal Information Security Management Act (FISMA) and Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circular A-130, all information systems handling federal data through storage, processing, or transmission must receive formal management authorization. Upon approval from the NESDIS Ingest and Dissemination Review Board, an Interconnection Security Agreement (ISA) may be established to formalize the network connection between NOAA and the external party. A system interconnection refers to the linking of multiple IT environments to facilitate the exchange of data and resources.

This ISA specifies the network connectivity parameters, details the safety mechanisms applied to safeguard systems and information, and provides a topological diagram of the link. Depending on the arrangement, the ISA may be accompanied by a Memorandum of Understanding or Memorandum of Agreement (MOU/MOA) between the participating organizations.

To initiate a request for the NESDIS OSS, please fill out the provided DAR Form and submit it via email to NESDIS.Data.Access@noaa.gov.