From Space to Earth: assessing the legal framework of big data in the space technologies sector

The amount of data and information collected and processed by space technologies, in particular through Earth observation programs and telecommunication services, is increasing day by day. Meanwhile, the socio-economic environment surrounding such activities is rapidly changing: data are employed for new purposes, private actors are involved in the dissemination of these information and new users get access to space data. In this context, international law is required to addressed the new challenges deriving from such changes such as the protection of data protection and the right to privacy. The paper aims at analysing the state of the art, focusing on the main provisions of international space law, including both hard law and soft law instruments, covering the collection and dissemination of space data, especially those coming from remote sensing satellites. Then, the focus will shift on assessing the scope of application of new legal provisions which are applicable to this matter, in particular the recent regulation on data protection adopted by the European Union (GDPR). In conclusion, the research aims at assessing a legal framework for the big data, which represents a necessary step to minimize the risks and maximize the benefits stemming from those technologies.