High-resolution satellite imagery for environmental NGOs

Explore:Planet Nonprofit Program

2. Airbus OneAtlas

Best for: Detailed verification and flexible access to archived imagery.

• Imagery: Pléiades Neo at 30 cm, Pléiades at 50 cm, and SPOT at 1.5 m.
• Subscription: Living Library provides subscription access to selected archive imagery; other archive and new-acquisition options are available pay-per-order.
• NGO advantage: Multiple resolution tiers let you match imagery detail to the importance of a site.
• Limitation: Pricing is generally quote- or consumption-based, and high-resolution tasking can become expensive across extensive forest areas.api.oneatlas.airbus.com+2

Explore:Airbus OneAtlas imagery access

3. Vantor

Best for: Confirming small clearings, logging roads, and suspected illegal activity.

• Imagery: WorldView very-high-resolution optical imagery, including approximately 30 cm-class products.
• Commercial model: Typically requires a tailored access, archive, or tasking arrangement rather than a straightforward NGO subscription.
• NGO advantage: Fine spatial detail helps analysts inspect individual disturbance features and document suspected incursions.
• Limitation: Cost and acquisition availability need to be assessed for your particular geography and revisit requirements.resellers-docs.maxar.com

Explore:Vantor

4. BlackSky

Best for: Time-sensitive monitoring of priority sites.

• Imagery: High-resolution optical imagery, with newer systems offering approximately 35 cm-class imagery.
• Subscription: On-Demand and Assured offerings provide flexible access or reserved collection capacity.
• NGO advantage: Potentially useful when a ranger report or alert requires rapid follow-up.
• Limitation: Its intelligence-oriented subscription model may be less economical for routine, wall-to-wall monitoring of extensive protected forests.blacksky.com+3

Explore:BlackSky products

Which subscription model is best value?

Planet also offers a particularly relevant initiative, the Tropical Forest Observatory, which provides eligible nonprofits and researchers with monthly PlanetScope mosaics across tropical forests. This is worth evaluating if your protected areas are in the tropics.www.planet.com+1

For pricing, Planet publishes some self-service plans, but its nonprofit bundles are separate offerings. Airbus, Vantor, and BlackSky may require quotations for comparable coverage and acquisition commitments. Compare actual quotes rather than assuming a fixed price per satellite or per square kilometre.www.planet.com+2

Recommended monitoring architecture

1. Screen the full protected area

Use frequent PlanetScope imagery to identify changes in canopy cover, new roads, and expanding clearings.

2. Verify suspicious changes

Acquire targeted 30–50 cm imagery from SkySat, Airbus Pléiades Neo, or Vantor WorldView to inspect small features.

3. Produce actionable alerts

Compare images over time, flag probable forest loss, and send georeferenced alerts to field teams for validation.

One important caveat: optical imagery is affected by cloud cover, especially in tropical forests. Consider supplementing optical data with free Sentinel-1 radar observations when cloud cover prevents reliable inspection. Also, distinguish actual tree-cover loss from seasonal changes, harvesting, fire damage, and other disturbances before treating an alert as confirmed deforestation.

To narrow this down to the best-value plan

The two biggest factors are your monitoring footprint and the level of detail you need. What region are you monitoring, and approximately how much protected land do you need to cover?