Space Data Space

Exploring the conditions for a data ecosystem in the space sector.

Status: Blueprint published in March 2025
Commissioned by: European Space Agency
Onecub’s role: Writing the blueprint, running the community
Sector: Space

Group photo of the participants in the second ESA-ESPI Space Data Space workshop in Brussels — Second ESA-ESPI Space Data Space workshop, Brussels, 29 October 2024.

The need.

Europe excels at open Earth observation data, but sharing private and commercial space data remains rare. Uses, in civil security as in other sectors, call for a common trust framework.

Space Data Space Next (SDS-Next) is the European Space Agency activity that followed the 2022-2023 preliminary study: preparing the implementation of a space data space, starting with civil security. Onecub took part in both phases, with Space Cooperative Europe and aNewGovernance.

Onecub’s role.

Writing the blueprint, published in March 2025: Olivier Dion is its author.
Running the SDS-Next community: 14 working meetings in 2024.
Expertise in data space standards: governance and technical infrastructure.
Coordinating proposals in calls for proposals and tenders.

The blueprint in six ideas.

Beyond open data.

The data space adds a reliable framework to share private and commercial data, on top of open data.

Use case driven.

Two initial civil security from space use cases, and a method to add more.

Trust and collaboration.

Business, legal and ethical requirements balanced and anchored in recognised trust frameworks.

Interoperability first.

A federated architecture building on DSSC, iSHARE, Simpl, Gaia-X, IDSA and FIWARE.

Governance that scales.

A sectoral coordinating authority, strong roles for Member States and thematic initiatives.

A phased rollout.

Initial use cases, hybrid governance, legal and business models, technical roadmap.

Read the blueprint (PDF)

Where is the project?

The blueprint is published. 31 public, private and non-profit organisations from 10 countries contributed to the 2024 work. Onecub now helps the SDS-Next community develop and connect concrete space data-sharing initiatives, through national and European calls for proposals.