Access rules for Iride data have been defined, the Italian constellation of constellations for Earth observation, as well as one of the largest in Europe.
Coordinated by the European Space Agency (Esa) with the support of the Italian Space Agency (Asi), the Italian space program funded through Pnrr funds, Iride foresees the creation of satellite constellations dedicated to Earth Observation.
The data collected by Iride will provide crucial support for monitoring and protecting the territory, resource management, and national security. And precisely regarding data, earlier this week Asi approved the “Iride Mission Data Policy Principles,” the document that establishes the rules for access, use, and distribution of data and products generated by the new Iride constellation which, together with other national and European space systems, is designed to serve Public Administrations, such as Civil Protection and many others.
Specifically, the document defines the governance framework for Iride system data, establishing access priorities for institutional users while promoting the development of commercial services and applications based on satellite data. The data policy represents a central element for managing and enhancing the information produced by the system, aiming to support institutional activities, research, and industrial development.
Moreover, the document clarifies that Iride data will not be simply open and free. While access for Italian public administrations will be “without direct charges,” the economic model is based on a differentiated pricing system for commercial users and non-institutional entities.
All the details.
IRIDE, THE NATIONAL EARTH OBSERVATION PROGRAM
It is a hybrid constellation composed of satellites of different classes with dedicated Earth observation sensors; an end-to-end system consisting of a set of sub-constellations of satellites in low Earth orbit (Low Earth Orbit), the ground operational infrastructure (Downstream), and services intended for the Italian Public Administration.
The program has a value of 1.1 billion euros, of which 800 million are funded precisely by the Pnrr. It is an ambitious project since it must be operational by June 2026, the Pnrr target.
The system is conceived as an end-to-end infrastructure integrating space components, ground infrastructures, and digital services dedicated to data management and distribution. The mission aims to increase the national capacity for Earth observation via satellites and to provide geospatial information useful to public administrations and institutional users.
The document emphasizes that the Iride system’s purpose is to “increase the national capacity for Earth Observation from satellites primarily over Italian territory, in order to provide geospatial information for government users.”
IRIDE SYSTEM ARCHITECTURE
The Iride system is organized into three main segments that constitute the overall mission architecture.
Regarding the upstream segment, it includes the space component consisting of satellite constellations and the related operational modes for data acquisition. The downstream segment includes the ground infrastructure that manages satellite control and data reception, as well as the access platform for users.
The services segment integrates the processing chains and application systems that transform satellite data into products and services usable by end users. This area also includes digital platforms and development environments dedicated to generating derived products and applications.
THE OBJECTIVE OF THE DATA POLICY
As indicated in the document, in defining the data policy, “consideration was given to the civil nature of the system and the operational needs of the public administration, as well as the opportunities for developing a market for products derived from satellite data.”
The objective is to guarantee priority support to institutional users, such as public administrations and national authorities, while at the same time promoting the development of commercial services and applications based on satellite data.
DATA USE AND APPLICATION AREAS
The geospatial data and products generated by the Iride system are intended for various institutional and operational use areas.
The document identifies several thematic service areas including, among others, air quality, monitoring of ground and infrastructure movements, land cover and use, meteorological-climatic services, water resource management, emergencies, and security.
DATA ACCESS AND USER CATEGORIES
Moreover, the data policy defines – and above all – the categories of users authorized to access the system’s resources and the related conditions of use.
The document identifies several user categories, including Italian institutional users, which comprise public administrations and bodies involved in activities of national interest, and non-national institutional users, including European Union institutions, public administrations of other countries, and international organizations.
The user classification aims to define different levels of data access, economic conditions, and applicable security policies, in compliance with directives established by the competent authority and national and international regulations on Earth observation.
PRIORITY ACCESS FOR PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION
The main beneficiaries of the system will be institutional users: public administrations, civil protection, defense, local authorities, and European bodies. For these entities, IRIDE is created with a primary operational support function — from environmental monitoring to emergency management.
THE ROLE OF THE MARKETPLACE
A key element is the Iride system’s “Marketplace,” described as the access point to data, tools, and development environments. This is where the business model will materialize: regulated access, paid services, and application development.
ECONOMIC CONDITIONS
Finally, the most relevant chapter, the economic conditions.
For Italian Institutional users, access to system data and services occurs “without charges.” For non-national Institutional users, access “is chargeable” except for bilateral or multilateral agreements and in compliance with international commitments undertaken. Then, for technical users, access to system resources is “free of charge only for activities aimed at ensuring system performance and operation.”
For commercial users and other entities not falling into the previous categories, access is “chargeable.” “It is understood – specifies the document – that for application development users, access to system resources may also be free of charge, as in the case where such user makes the developed application product available free of charge to national institutional users within the marketplace, based on specific contracts and/or agreements.”
Ultimately, with the guarantee of open data and support to institutions, a model emerges in which the infrastructure remains public, but the economic value of the data will increasingly belong to those who can transform it into services and applications.
