Golden Insights: Creating Value From Commercial Earth Observation Data

Why It Matters

A standardized evaluation framework will streamline procurement, boost confidence in commercial analytics, and unlock new revenue streams for the remote‑sensing market.

Key Takeaways

• Transparency between data producers and consumers boosts market demand.
• New lexicon standardizes geospatial product evaluation across industry.
• Product spectrum ranges from custom analytics to off‑the‑shelf solutions.
• Viability and value metrics help customers compare geospatial offerings.
• Government concerns persist over automated commercial analytics for sensitive missions.

Summary

The CSIS Aerospace Security Project unveiled its "Golden Insights" report, shifting focus from satellite collection performance to the downstream value of commercial Earth‑observation data. Panelists examined how customers actually use geospatial products, who provides them, and how to assess their worth. The study surveyed hundreds of firms using USGIF membership lists and the GeoAwesome Top 100, then distilled a common lexicon and metric framework. It introduced a product spectrum—from fully custom analytics to standardized off‑the‑shelf offerings—and identified two metric families: viability (price, security, features) and value (utility, complexity, quality). Panelists highlighted the need for a shared language: Kevin praised the new lexicon as a bridge between satellite vendors and end‑users, while Gary warned that automated commercial analytics can pose risks for high‑stakes missions. Dave illustrated the spectrum with a suit‑buying analogy, emphasizing that clear metrics enable buyers to match products to specific decision‑making needs. The report’s recommendations aim to increase transparency, build trust, and ultimately expand the commercial remote‑sensing market. By giving government and private buyers a rubric to evaluate products, the industry can reduce procurement friction, mitigate security concerns, and accelerate adoption of value‑added geospatial analytics.

Original Description

Please join the CSIS Aerospace Security Project on Wednesday, April 8, from 2:00–2:45 p.m. ET for a virtual discussion on the recently released Golden Insights: High-Quality Products Derived from Commercial Earth Observations report. Kari Bingen, Director of the CSIS Aerospace Security Project, will be joined by report author, David Gauthier, Non-Resident Senior Associate with the CSIS Aerospace Security Project.

In 2024, CSIS released the Gold Rush: 2024 Commercial Remote Sensing Global Rankings report, which highlighted the best commercial remote sensing systems in operations across categories of electro-optical, synthetic aperture radar (SAR), spectral, and thermal performance. Going beyond mere satellite collection systems, this new report, Golden Insights: High-Quality Products Derived from Earth Observation Data, showcases the range of products being created from Earth observation data, their applicability to a range of missions and markets, and how they create value for decisionmakers and customers. The report dives into current customer buying centers, product categories, and metrics for evaluating one commercial product versus another.

This event is made possible through general support to CSIS.

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