PARIS, 21 Feb. - (ANA) - Advances in optical systems, photonics, cloud computing and artificial intelligence have democratised both the quality and accessibility of satellite data. However, this also carries risks for national security and privacy. Our blog identifies emerging challenges and how governments can address them.

 

A growing share of the Earth can be captured from satellites in near-real-time and in ever-greater detail. In 2024, the US Geological Survey identified some 472 earth observation satellites in orbit, 202 operated by governments and 270 by private operators. From an altitude of several hundred kilometres, observations can be made through cloud cover and in darkness and be repeated over the same spot several times a day. What was once the domain of governments and the subject of spy thrillers is now available to almost anyone, as some commercial satellites can be tasked for a fee from the comfort of your home. 

 

And the quality and availability of this imagery is quickly improving. In 2023, a US company released the highest-resolution commercial synthetic aperture radar image ever made, capturing the Earth’s surface in stunning 16-cm detail. In March 2025, a 10-cm commercial sensor was launched into orbit. This trend is likely to continue, as advances in miniaturisation, convergence with other technologies (optics, photonics) and reduced launch costs are making it cheaper to send highly sophisticated sensors into space, and more countries and operators are producing earth observation data. Public and private data providers complement each other, with several government programmes providing free and open data, while commercial satellites often serve niche markets.

 

Earth observation satellites not only produce optical and radar imagery but also capture other electromagnetic emissions such as radio waves. A recent commercial offering is space-based radio frequency (RF) monitoring. Satellites can detect RF signals, such as those emitted by maritime radars, emergency beacons or even handheld radios if the signal is strong enough. In combination with other data sources and signal analysis, RF monitoring can locate or even identify the emitter.

 

 

 

 

In this context of growing data availability, artificial intelligence (AI) has revolutionised satellite imagery analysis through automated image classification, change detection and predictive modelling. Satellite observations can help to more easily track land use and changes, advance ocean, weather and climate science, and support a wide range of operational activities for both public and commercial users. For example: 

 

- The Global Agriculture Monitoring initiative combines earth observation data, weather information and AI-trained models to predict where, when and what crops are growing worldwide, in support of market transparency and early warning of production shortfalls.  

 

- The Global Human Settlement Layer relies on a combination of machine learning, satellite imagery, census data and private sector data to estimate global built-up surface and population. This and similar maps are crucial in areas with infrequent or poor-quality census data collection and are for instance used by the United Nations World Food Programme to inform needs assessment. 

 

- The Methane Alert and Response System initiative uses AI and hyperspectral satellite imagery to automatically flag potential emissions at monitored locations.  

 

The emergence of foundation models based on earth observation data may further encourage the use of satellite imagery data, as they reduce the need for advanced technical expertise and access to training datasets, while also strengthening analytical capability. A NASA and IBM-led partnership has created the Prithvi models for earth observation and weather and climate, proposing applications for carbon flux estimation, landslide detection, burn intensity estimation, crop pattern identification, flood mapping, and more.   - (ANA) -

 

For more information, visit: https://www.oecd.org/en/blogs/2026/02/expanding-access-to-satellite-earth-observation-data-what-it-means-for-privacy-security-and-trust.html?adestraproject=Science%2C%20Technology%20and%20Innovation&utm_campaign=STI%20News%2011%20February%20-%20Earth%20observation%20data&utm_content=Read%20the%20blog%3A%20What%20does%20expanding%20access%20to%20satellite%20Earth%20observation%20data%20mean%20for%20privacy%2C%20secu&utm_term=sti&utm_medium=email&utm_source=Adestra

 

AB/ANA/21 February 2026 - - -