Summary
ESA has awarded ICEYE and Leonardo contracts to lead parallel architecture studies for the European Union’s future Earth Observation Governmental Service. The Commission-funded work will examine the full system, from satellites and sensors to data processing, distribution and governance.
The European Space Agency has awarded two contracts to begin designing the European Union’s future Earth Observation Governmental Service (EOGS), a planned secure system for delivering space-based information to authorised users in security and defence. The contracts, announced on 17 September 2026, have gone to ICEYE and Leonardo, which will each lead a European industrial consortium in a parallel architecture study.
The studies are funded by the European Commission through Element 1 of ESA’s European Resilience from Space–Earth Observation (ERS-EO) programme. EOGS is planned to begin in 2028 under the EU’s next Multiannual Financial Framework.
What the two studies will design
ICEYE and Leonardo will propose architectural options covering the complete EOGS value chain. That includes user requirements, the space segment, ground infrastructure, data processing and distribution, as well as governance arrangements.
The future service is expected to combine several sources of capability: satellites, ground systems, processing facilities, data and information products, commercial services, capacities contributed by EU Member States, and capabilities developed specifically for and owned by the EU.
This approach treats EOGS as a system of connected components rather than as a single satellite mission. Earth-observation satellites collect measurements using instruments such as optical and radar sensors. Optical instruments observe reflected light, while radar systems actively transmit radio signals and measure their return. In practical terms, combining different sensor types can support observation across different conditions and provide complementary information about land, sea and the atmosphere.
Why ESA is preparing the system
ERS-EO is the Earth-observation pillar of ESA’s broader European Resilience from Space initiative. ESA describes the programme as an effort to strengthen Europe’s resilience, security and strategic autonomy by addressing capability gaps through jointly developed space-based systems.
The programme is intended to provide reliable, secure and timely access to independent Earth-observation information for situational awareness. The stated use cases include natural disasters, humanitarian emergencies, security incidents and geopolitical crises, where current information can support preparedness, decision-making and response.
For security and defence applications, ESA says the planned EOGS service is intended to provide persistent and targeted observations with secure access. ERS-EO is expected to focus on very-high-resolution optical and radar sensing, potentially including advanced sensor technologies, together with rapid revisit enabled by large Earth-observation constellations. A rapid revisit means that the system can return to the same area more frequently, which is important when conditions are changing quickly.
The programme is described as dual-use: its capabilities are being prepared for both civilian and defence requirements. The emphasis on secure access and European ownership is also intended to support a sovereign capability that can deliver trusted information when and where it is needed.
A design milestone before implementation
The contracts mark the start of the architecture phase rather than the deployment of an operational service. The two consortia will develop and compare possible end-to-end designs, giving the European Commission and ESA technical options for the future EOGS programme.
ESA’s announcement points to the studies’ outcomes next year. Their recommendations will help shape the technological foundations and implementation approach for a programme that is planned for 2028. The final arrangement of satellites, sensors, ground infrastructure, commercial services and governance will therefore emerge through the architecture and subsequent programme decisions.