Trust in Earth Observation Data - Dependencies, Risks and Opportunities for Australia - Policy Briefing Paper

Aug 27, 2026

Earth observation (EO) satellite data underpins Australia’s economy and national security, contributing about $3.2bn to GDP and supported by roughly $100m in annual federal spending. The paper details EO supply dependencies via foreign timeshare arrangements, foreign commercial purchases, and partner-provided data requiring local ground infrastructure and quality improvements. It highlights verification challenges for commercial data, limited instrument precision checks, and risks of interference. It recommends treating EO data as critical infrastructure and leveraging Australia’s sovereign strengths in calibration and validation to improve whole-of-government mitigation.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages9

Reading Time23 min

AccessFree to download

Summary

Policy recommendations

Trust and applications of EO data

Economic dependencies and sector uses

Earth observation capabilities as critical infrastructure

EO infrastructure segments

Risks, verification challenges, and mitigation focus

TRUST IN EARTH OBSERVATION DATA: DEPENDENCIES , RISKS AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR AUSTRALIA DR CASSANDRA STEER AND DR ALEKS DEEJAY Report by the Australian Centre for Space Governance April 2024 [www.spacegovcentre.org](www.spacegovcentre.org) TRUST IN EARTH OBSERVATION DATA: DEPENDENCIES, RISKS AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR AUSTRALIA Dr Cassandra Steer, Dr Aleks Deejay Summary • Australia’s economy and national security depend heavily on Earth Observation (EO) satellite data. This data contributes $3 .2bn to our GDP. The federal government spends $100 million annually for this data. • The EO data Australia relies on are from (a) paid “timeshare” arrangements on foreign satellites,(b) purchased from foreign commercial entities, or (c) provided by foreign partner nations for whom we provide ground-based infrastructure and data quality improvement in Australia. • It is difficult to verify the quality or accuracy of commercially provided data, and there are limited ways to verify the precision of the satellite instruments. Data can also be deliberately interfered with, sometimes without easy detection. • Australia is a world leader in the “ground” and “data” aspects of EO infrastructure, including calibration of foreign EO satellites and validation (quality assurance) and management of EO data. Policy recommendations • EO data should be included as critical infrastructure by federal laws, policies and strategies under the Department of Defence, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Department of Home Affairs and the Department of Industry, Science and Resources. This should be in a coordinated approach across the whole of government. • The Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet should task the Space Coordination Committee to (a) consult expert risk assessments of current operation and future potential loss of service of EO data, and (b) map and provide clear recommendations for a whole of government approach to consolidating government activity and mitigating these risks. • The Australian Government should leverage Australia’s sovereign strengths in EO data management, validation and calibration as a national strategy. In return for being heavy users of foreign EO data, we can be a key contributor to global EO infrastructure. EO data is critical to multiple aspects of our individual, community and national lives, and should therefore be recognised as part of our national critical infrastructure. The information collected from EO satellites informs people about their business needs and environmental realities and provides data for public policy and national security decision-making. EO has wide-ranging applications that serve and enable a broad range of Australian industries and government needs, including: • climate monitoring; • monitoring the health of flora, fauna freshwater and coastal environments; • augmenting Indigenous land and water management data; • precision data for agricultural planning and operations; • prospecting for critical minerals and mining; • real-time and predictive data for disaster response, including bushfires and floods; • evidence for police investigationsand in the courtroom; and • security and intelligence (GEOINT) . Earth Observation capabilities as critical infrastructure EO data from satellites brings over $3.2 billion into Australia’s GDP, while the Australian government spends approximately $100 million per year on purchasing this data.1 There are economic and operational dependencies on EO for a wide range of sectors. For example, EO data aids the agricultural sector by enabling better weather prediction and monitoring, determining irrigation and fertilisation needs, and predicting yields.2 Regular functioning of agricultural practices hinges on this data, increasingly so given predicted food supply chain shortages due to climate change. EO assists the mining sector in finding new critical mineral deposits, monitoring site landscapes, and

FAQs

What does the paper identify as Australia’s main dependencies for accessing EO satellite data?

It identifies three pathways: paid timeshare arrangements on foreign satellites, purchasing data from foreign commercial entities, and receiving data from foreign partner nations while providing ground infrastructure and data quality improvement in Australia.

Why is verifying EO data quality described as difficult?

The paper notes limited ways to verify the precision of satellite instruments and that the quality or accuracy of commercially provided data can be hard to confirm. It also warns that data can be deliberately interfered with, sometimes without easy detection.

What policy recommendations does the paper make regarding EO data?

It recommends including EO data as critical infrastructure in federal laws, policies, and strategies across relevant departments through a coordinated whole-of-government approach, and tasking the Space Coordination Committee to consult expert risk assessments and map recommendations to consolidate activity and mitigate service-loss risks.

Aug 27, 2026

Uploaded by Caleb Sterling