Novaspace’s 18th edition of the Earth Observation Data and Services Market report signals a decisive market shift: geopolitical instability and AI integration are accelerating demand for defense-grade EO capabilities. Sovereign control and precision intelligence now dominate buyer priorities, with customers demanding uncompromised access to both premium resolution and rapid revisit rates, reshaping the commercial EO landscape for the decade ahead. 

“While the past decade saw the emergence of differentiated constellation projects, the next decade will be defined by integration and interoperability”, says Alexis Conte, Senior Manager at Novaspace. “No single company can cover every layer of the information chain, so industry is moving towards strategic vertical integration and key partnerships to close value chain gaps, reshaping the competitive landscape ”. 

Over the past year, geopolitical tensions have prompted nations to seek sovereign observation capabilities, fueling demand for commercial EO solutions. This surge has pushed the EO data market to $2.2 billion in 2024, growing at a 7% CAGR since 2019, with defense applications accounting for over 65% of data demand. Simultaneously, the EO Value-Added Services (VAS) market reached $3.2 billion, also growing at 7% CAGR, and projected to reach $5 billion by 2034. 

Despite potential budget realignments in the United States, Novaspace anticipates no major slowdown in EO activity. Instead, a more coordinated use of EO data across government agencies is expected, extending its application from strategic planning to tactical-level operations. 

The next frontier in EO lies in data fusion, the seamless integration of multi-sensor inputs into actionable intelligence. This evolution is giving rise to specialized service providers capable of orchestrating complex, multi-source architectures. 

These market advancements see security emerging as a strategic imperative. Technologies such as quantum key distribution and secure data relay are becoming essential to protect EO data integrity and ensure resilient communications across increasingly interconnected networks. 

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