EU delays release of Copernicus imagery over Gulf of Oman  - SpaceNews

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Home / EU delays release of Copernicus imagery over Gulf of Oman

The Gulf of Oman, imaged in September 2018 by the Copernicus Sentinel-3A satellite. Credit: ESA; CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO

JOHANNESBURG — The European Union has ordered a 24-hour delay in the release of some Sentinel-1 and Sentinel-2 imagery following a request from the United States based on concerns that the Earth observation satellites’ output could pose a security risk.

A new Council of the EU decision requires the European Commission to apply the delay to a “specific geographical area forming part of the Gulf of Oman.” An annex to the decision defines that area using five sets of latitude and longitude coordinates that encompass shipping routes leading to and from the Strait of Hormuz, a region relevant to the U.S.’s war against Iran.

As of publication, the decision had not yet appeared in the EU’s Official Journal.

SpaceNews reviewed a copy of the decision, dated July 13 and signed by Council President Kaja Kallas. Its existence and adoption were also confirmed in a July 20 Council of the EU document.

The measure represents an exception to Copernicus’ normally free and open data policy. Copernicus is the EU’s Earth observation program that operates the Sentinel satellite fleet. The decision also complicates recent efforts by European Earth observation companies to position Europe as a counterpoint to the U.S. by providing unrestricted access to satellite imagery.

In early March, shortly after direct military conflict between the U.S. and Iran began, Planet imposed a 96-hour delay on new imagery of the region. In April, the company told customers it would indefinitely withhold imagery of the region following a request from the U.S. government. Vantor, formerly Maxar, has separately imposed similar restrictions.

In May, European Earth observation firms told SpaceNews they were receiving new business from global energy traders, insurers, shipping firms and news organizations. Those customers had depended on commercial satellite imagery to monitor the Strait of Hormuz, but U.S. satellite imagery companies had pulled back from sharing images of Iran and the broader area around the Gulf conflict.

“The good news is that in Europe we have Copernicus, which kept operating with no restrictions,” Antoine Rostand, president and co-founder of French environmental intelligence company Kayrros, said at the time.

Asked whether similar restrictions had previously been imposed on the dissemination of Copernicus data, a European Commission spokesperson pointed to security exceptions within the program’s free and open data policy.

“The Copernicus programme operates under a free and open data policy, ensuring that its satellite imagery is available to users worldwide in accordance with applicable regulations and operational considerations,” the spokesperson said. “However, limitations to this policy for security reasons are allowed.”

The spokesperson characterized the delay as a routine security measure.

“This is a technical measure to protect against possible security risks. It is a common measure, also being taken by many other satellite operators.”

According to the July 13 decision, U.S. authorities submitted the request through a diplomatic démarche on May 26. The request was made in the context of the EU’s Space Threat Response Architecture, a framework under which the Council can issue security instructions affecting EU space systems.

The Council said the delay was necessary to prevent Copernicus products from being used by any third state or non-state actor in a manner that could threaten the interests of the EU, its member states or their allies in the region. The EU’s Political and Security Committee backed the proposed restriction on June 10.

The published decision does not specify when the delay took effect, how long it will remain in force or when it will be reviewed.

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Andrew Parsonson

Andrew Parsonson is based in Valetta, Malta, and has been covering the space industry since 2017.<br>More by Andrew Parsonson

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