Microsoft parks Landsat and Sentinel satellite data in Azure's orbit
(2025/10/17)
- Reference: 1760700314
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2025/10/17/microsoft_azure_satellite_data/
- Source link:
Microsoft has made NASA's Harmonized Landsat and Sentinel-2 (HLS) dataset available on Azure via the Windows giant's Planetary Computer platform.
It seems an excellent use for all that Azure capacity – petabytes of global environmental data can be accessed through APIs or directly via Azure storage. "This flexible scientific environment allows users to answer questions about the data, and both build applications and use applications on top of the platform," Microsoft [1]said .
The [2]HLS dataset is a vast archive of data from Earth-monitoring spacecraft, in this case NASA's Landsat 8 and 9 and the European Space Agency's Sentinel-2 satellites. It's an invaluable tool for researchers looking into climate change, changes in land use, agricultural applications, and so on.
[3]
Landsat 8 is getting a little long in the tooth, having been launched in 2013. It was joined in 2021 by Landsat 9. Whether a follow-up – dubbed [4]Landsat Next – will ever happen depends on the final budget for NASA science. ESA has launched Sentinel-2A, B, and C so far. Sentinel-2C reached orbit in 2024 and Sentinel-2D will launch in the next few years. Combined with 2C, it will replace the aging Sentinel-2A and B spacecraft.
[5]
[6]
The HLS project was a major outcome of the 2016 Satellite Needs Working Group (SNWG). According to NASA, the Landsats can collect observations with 30-meter spatial resolution over a 16-day repeat period. The Sentinels provide 10 to 20-meter spatial resolution with a five-day repeat period. Combined through HLS, observations can be acquired at a 30-meter spatial resolution every two to three days, with the satellite data appearing as one collection.
[7]Kubernetes kicks down Azure Front Door
[8]Microsoft cuts off Azure phone surveillance support for Israeli military
[9]US Navy: I can't quit you, Azure
[10]UK schools give system supplier Bromcom an F for Azure uptime
NASA funds the HLS dataset. The agency is currently subject to the US government shutdown, and it is unclear whether that funding will continue until budget proposals, some of which include substantial cuts to science programs, are finalized. Microsoft did not respond to questions about whether it might step in to cover any gaps.
Considering the amount of compute devoted to AI applications, this seems a good use of Azure resources. However, Microsoft, being Microsoft, had to weigh in with some Copilot and AI suggestions for researchers.
Microsoft accused of 'greenwashing' as AI used in fossil fuel exploration [11]READ MORE
The Windows giant suggested that perhaps researchers might like to use the Azure OpenAI Service "to create intelligent applications that enhance Earth observation analysis."
Or perhaps the prototype NASA Earth Copilot and natural language queries could be used to generate insights into the geospatial data.
Microsoft came up with a list of ways that HLS data and Azure AI could be used. These include automation of land classification and vegetation monitoring, deforestation trends, and the prediction of environmental patterns.
[12]
Oddly, as a subject for research, it did not mention the [13]environmental impact of all the datacenters devoted to crunching data for AI applications. We can't imagine why. ®
Get our [14]Tech Resources
[1] https://devblogs.microsoft.com/azuregov/nasa-hls-on-mpc/
[2] https://www.earthdata.nasa.gov/data/projects/hls
[3] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offprem/paasiaas&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2aPJoFDttkG8ak_MXQGQA4wAAAMM&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[4] https://landsat.gsfc.nasa.gov/satellites/landsat-next/
[5] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offprem/paasiaas&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44aPJoFDttkG8ak_MXQGQA4wAAAMM&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[6] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offprem/paasiaas&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33aPJoFDttkG8ak_MXQGQA4wAAAMM&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[7] https://www.theregister.com/2025/10/09/kubernetes_azure_outage/
[8] https://www.theregister.com/2025/09/25/microsoft_cuts_off_azure_phone/
[9] https://www.theregister.com/2025/09/24/us_navy_cloud_azure_lock/
[10] https://www.theregister.com/2025/09/10/bromcom_fail/
[11] https://www.theregister.com/2024/10/31/microsoft_greenwashing_ai/
[12] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offprem/paasiaas&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44aPJoFDttkG8ak_MXQGQA4wAAAMM&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[13] https://www.theregister.com/2024/09/06/datacenters_set_to_emit_3x/
[14] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
It seems an excellent use for all that Azure capacity – petabytes of global environmental data can be accessed through APIs or directly via Azure storage. "This flexible scientific environment allows users to answer questions about the data, and both build applications and use applications on top of the platform," Microsoft [1]said .
The [2]HLS dataset is a vast archive of data from Earth-monitoring spacecraft, in this case NASA's Landsat 8 and 9 and the European Space Agency's Sentinel-2 satellites. It's an invaluable tool for researchers looking into climate change, changes in land use, agricultural applications, and so on.
[3]
Landsat 8 is getting a little long in the tooth, having been launched in 2013. It was joined in 2021 by Landsat 9. Whether a follow-up – dubbed [4]Landsat Next – will ever happen depends on the final budget for NASA science. ESA has launched Sentinel-2A, B, and C so far. Sentinel-2C reached orbit in 2024 and Sentinel-2D will launch in the next few years. Combined with 2C, it will replace the aging Sentinel-2A and B spacecraft.
[5]
[6]
The HLS project was a major outcome of the 2016 Satellite Needs Working Group (SNWG). According to NASA, the Landsats can collect observations with 30-meter spatial resolution over a 16-day repeat period. The Sentinels provide 10 to 20-meter spatial resolution with a five-day repeat period. Combined through HLS, observations can be acquired at a 30-meter spatial resolution every two to three days, with the satellite data appearing as one collection.
[7]Kubernetes kicks down Azure Front Door
[8]Microsoft cuts off Azure phone surveillance support for Israeli military
[9]US Navy: I can't quit you, Azure
[10]UK schools give system supplier Bromcom an F for Azure uptime
NASA funds the HLS dataset. The agency is currently subject to the US government shutdown, and it is unclear whether that funding will continue until budget proposals, some of which include substantial cuts to science programs, are finalized. Microsoft did not respond to questions about whether it might step in to cover any gaps.
Considering the amount of compute devoted to AI applications, this seems a good use of Azure resources. However, Microsoft, being Microsoft, had to weigh in with some Copilot and AI suggestions for researchers.
Microsoft accused of 'greenwashing' as AI used in fossil fuel exploration [11]READ MORE
The Windows giant suggested that perhaps researchers might like to use the Azure OpenAI Service "to create intelligent applications that enhance Earth observation analysis."
Or perhaps the prototype NASA Earth Copilot and natural language queries could be used to generate insights into the geospatial data.
Microsoft came up with a list of ways that HLS data and Azure AI could be used. These include automation of land classification and vegetation monitoring, deforestation trends, and the prediction of environmental patterns.
[12]
Oddly, as a subject for research, it did not mention the [13]environmental impact of all the datacenters devoted to crunching data for AI applications. We can't imagine why. ®
Get our [14]Tech Resources
[1] https://devblogs.microsoft.com/azuregov/nasa-hls-on-mpc/
[2] https://www.earthdata.nasa.gov/data/projects/hls
[3] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offprem/paasiaas&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2aPJoFDttkG8ak_MXQGQA4wAAAMM&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[4] https://landsat.gsfc.nasa.gov/satellites/landsat-next/
[5] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offprem/paasiaas&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44aPJoFDttkG8ak_MXQGQA4wAAAMM&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[6] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offprem/paasiaas&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33aPJoFDttkG8ak_MXQGQA4wAAAMM&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[7] https://www.theregister.com/2025/10/09/kubernetes_azure_outage/
[8] https://www.theregister.com/2025/09/25/microsoft_cuts_off_azure_phone/
[9] https://www.theregister.com/2025/09/24/us_navy_cloud_azure_lock/
[10] https://www.theregister.com/2025/09/10/bromcom_fail/
[11] https://www.theregister.com/2024/10/31/microsoft_greenwashing_ai/
[12] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offprem/paasiaas&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44aPJoFDttkG8ak_MXQGQA4wAAAMM&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[13] https://www.theregister.com/2024/09/06/datacenters_set_to_emit_3x/
[14] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
Climate Change
It's an invaluable tool for researchers looking into climate change,
It is great news that useful data on global weather and climate change is now available publicly, especially after President Trump threatening to pull out of or disrupt attempts to include shipping in atmospheric carbon emissions rules. (https://www.eenews.net/articles/trump-says-us-wont-comply-with-carbon-ship-fee/ ):
“I am outraged that the International Maritime Organization is voting in London this week to pass a global Carbon Tax. The United States will NOT stand for this Global Green New Scam Tax on Shipping,”
And: https://www.state.gov/releases/office-of-the-spokesperson/2025/10/taking-action-to-defend-america-from-the-uns-first-global-carbon-tax-the-international-maritime-organizations-imo-net-zero-framework-nzf
" Joint Statement by Secretary of State Rubio, Secretary of Energy Wright, and Secretary of Transportation Duffy
President Trump has made it clear that the United States will not accept any international environmental agreement that unduly or unfairly burdens the United States or harms the interests of the American people. Next week, members of the IMO will vote on the adoption of a so-called NZF aimed at reducing global carbon dioxide gas emissions from the international shipping sector. This will be the first time that a UN organization levies a global carbon tax on the world.
The Administration unequivocally rejects this proposal before the IMO and will not tolerate any action that increases costs for our citizens, energy providers, shipping companies and their customers, or tourists. The economic impacts from this measure could be disastrous, with some estimates forecasting global shipping costs increasing as much as 10% or more. ..."
I just hope that the data is kept available for all.