Space Data Space

The data space preliminary study for the space sector

Space Data Space Next is ESA (European Space Agency) 2024–2025 preliminary study on how data spaces can serve the space sector. Led by Onecub and Space Cooperative Europe, with input from 60+ industry partners, it maps current space-sector data initiatives to the European data space landscape, and delivers a governance, business, and technical blueprint for building a European Space Data Space.

Read the Blueprint

Partner consortium (selection)

Space Cooperative Europe

ESA - European Space Agency

EDA - European Defense Agency

EU SatCen

EARSC

ESPI - European Space Policy Institute

Airbus Defence and Space

CS Group

De Gaulle Fleurance

DeutscheTelekom

DIH

Eutelsat

GMV

Open Cosmos

PeaceEye

SES

Vodafone

Status & roadmap

Proposal stage.
After a preliminary study phase in 2024/2025, Onecub will help the Space Data Space Next community develop and connect concrete space data-sharing initiatives starting from 2026 through national and EU call for proposals.

How Onecub contributes

Coordination of the Space Data Space Next blueprint

Community of Practice animation and engagement

Data Space standards expertise

Coordination of proposals in call for tenders

Executive summary of the Space Data Space Next blueprint

Space Data Space Next Blueprint — Putting Space at the heart of Europe’s data economy

The Space Data Space Next Blueprint sets a pragmatic roadmap to position the space sector at the forefront of the EU data strategy. While space is not listed among the initial 14 priority Common European Data Spaces, its data underpins nearly every other sector. The Blueprint proposes a Space Data Space that interconnects multiple space data-sharing initiatives with domains such as mobility, energy, agriculture, health, skills, and smart cities—advancing Europe’s digital autonomy, competitiveness, and sustainability.

Moving beyond open data

Europe leads in open Earth-observation data, yet trails in commercial data-sharing and value-added services—especially where AI drives growth. The Space Data Space will create a reliable environment for sharing private and commercial data (in addition to open data), boosting reuse and cross-sector value creation.

Use case driven

Design choices are grounded in scalable, cross-sector scenarios. The Blueprint details two initial Civil Security from Space use cases and establishes a pattern for many more.

Trust & collaboration

A diverse community—public and private, large and small—must collaborate on a foundation of trust. The Blueprint balances business, legal, and ethical requirements and anchors governance in recognised standards and trust frameworks.

Interoperability first

A federated, decentralised architecture uses harmonised open protocols to connect heterogeneous sources. It references key initiatives and components (e.g., DSSC, iSHARE, Simpl, Gaia-X, IDSA, FIWARE) and provides a reference architecture so transactions meet technical, business, legal, and regulatory conditions.

Governance that scales

The model combines top-down alignment (trust, compliance, cross-sector interoperability) with bottom-up momentum from thematic ecosystems. It proposes a sectoral European Space Data Space (ESDS) coordinating authority, strong roles for EU/ESA Member States, and domain initiatives (e.g., Civil Security from Space).

Strategic rollout

A phased plan covers initial use cases, hybrid governance, legal and business models, and a technical roadmap—reusing lessons from other sector blueprints and moving quickly to concrete implementation.