NSIS Cloud – the national platform for satellite data processing for Poland –has been launched
NSIS Cloud - a new cloud computing service for the Polish public administration and researchers has been launched. It combines a satellite data repository for Poland with a scalable cloud computing environment, creating the foundation of Poland’s satellite data processing system. The project is carried out on behalf of the Polish Space Agency (POLSA) under the National Satellite Information System (NSIS). CloudFerro, a leading European provider of cloud services for satellite data, is responsible for its execution and service delivery. The consortium partner, Wrocław-based GISPartner, is responsible for the visual layer of the service.
NSIS Cloud is the first cloud service in Poland of such scope for satellite data, providing both access to vast Earth observation data resources and an environment for their processing based on modern open-source technologies. The platform enables users – particularly representatives of public administration, science, and the private sector – to analyze and process data from the European Copernicus program and other satellite missions, including future Polish satellite missions. Users can also search for data, create and share analyses, maps, and applications – all in one integrated digital space that supports modern use of Earth observation data. As a result, Poland has gained its own sovereign computing infrastructure for working with geospatial data.
– The launch of NSIS Cloud is a breakthrough moment in building the Earth observation ecosystem in Poland. It delivers tangible benefits to users and opens entirely new opportunities for the space sector. The platform creates a scalable computing environment and a satellite data repository, in the future also from national missions. The solution was developed according to the latest standards and is unique not only in the country but also beyond its borders. It has been anticipated by business, science, and academic communities, also in the context of training new talent for the space sector. It is an environment that allows users (administration, science, business) to create their own analyses, AI applications, and perform data processing – without the need to build their own infrastructure. I am pleased that it was at our annual Earth Observation Forum that we were able to demonstrate a fully functioning solution – says Jolanta Orlińska, Director of the Earth Observation Department at the Polish Space Agency (POLSA).
Polish cloud – a guarantee of data sovereignty
The NSIS Cloud service runs on CloudFerro’s Polish cloud infrastructure, which is located in the country and, unlike global hyperscalers, is subject solely to national and European regulations and remains under the control of Polish entities. This ensures full data sovereignty, which is crucial from the perspective of the state’s information security and its institutions. As a result, NSIS Cloud becomes a strategic tool – supporting not only the development of the national space sector but also the implementation of Poland’s digital sovereignty policy.
– NSIS Cloud is not just another infrastructure project, but the foundation of a national satellite data ecosystem. It creates a space in which Poland can independently process, analyze, and store data from Earth observation missions – says Dr. Maciej Krzyżanowski, CEO of CloudFerro. – In this way, we are building the country’s technological independence in the strategic area of geospatial data.
Openness and flexibility thanks to open-source technology
The entire NSIS Cloud platform was designed based on open-source technologies, including the OpenStack environment, which forms the foundation of CloudFerro’s cloud. The absence of closed, commercial licenses eliminates vendor lock-in, giving users and public institutions full control over their working environment and service development. This approach not only enhances security but also facilitates collaboration and integration with European data ecosystems.
– The use of open software and a flexible architecture is the foundation of NSIS Cloud. It enables the platform’s future development and the addition of further data collections and functionalities – including those from planned Polish satellite missions – adds the CEO of CloudFerro.
Data from Copernicus and beyond
NSIS Cloud provides access to current and archival data from the European Earth observation program Copernicus, including Sentinel products, a range of analyses, maps and applications, as well as additional satellite data collections such as Landsat and national mosaics. In total, this is nearly 4 PB of data, growing every day. The platform provides access to data covering Poland and a 500 km zone beyond the country’s borders, allowing the analysis of data concerning neighbouring states, including the Czechia, Slovakia, Hungary, parts of Germany, and the Baltic Sea. The system has been designed so that the data repository grows dynamically as new datasets appear, including those from Polish satellite missions – such as the future CAMILA mission.
Thanks to the use of scalable cloud infrastructure, resources can be flexibly increased as user needs and data volumes grow. CloudFerro provides a fully managed cloud computing environment in which users can apply to POLSA for resource allocation, and the Agency monitors their use through a dedicated user panel.
– NSIS Cloud is Poland’s bold step toward broad and practical use of satellite data, which is why we are particularly pleased that, as GISPartner, we can be part of this project. Our participation confirms many years of experience in creating analytical solutions and systems based on Earth observation data.
NSIS Cloud uses GISPartner’s proprietary technology stack, developed and proven in numerous deployments in public administration and the private sector. Its key element is iMap, a technology that provides an ideal environment for advanced big-data analyses and for integrating diverse sources of information – including satellite data. Thanks to this, NSIS Cloud has gained a solid, flexible, and scalable platform that supports decision-making processes and the development of modern services based on spatial data – says Andrzej Szostek, President of the Management Board of GISPartner.
A working environment for administration, science, and business
NSIS Cloud is not only a data repository but also a complete computing environment. Users who are granted access by POLSA can use virtual computing resources, including virtual machines equipped with powerful GPUs, enabling the processing of large data volumes and the training of analytical models.
Thanks to integration with analytical tools – such as SNAP as a Service and notebook environments – the platform allows advanced processing of satellite data without the need to download them to local computers.
Polish consortium, European standards
The project was delivered by the Polish consortium of CloudFerro and GISPartner, confirming the capabilities of the national space sector to carry out complex infrastructure projects of strategic importance. The project team delivered the undertaking on schedule, covering five main stages - from developing the system concept and architecture, through building and launching the platform, populating it with data, integrating it with the pilot NSIS platform, up to training and implementation documentation. Training materials and e-learning resources were also developed to support the on-boarding of new platform users.
– NSIS Cloud is a very important project for CloudFerro, carried out entirely in Poland using our own cloud computing platform, built and managed by Polish engineers. It shows that the national space sector is ready to deliver large, complex technological undertakings that meet European quality standards – emphasizes Dr. Maciej Krzyżanowski.
National ecosystem of satellite data
The launch of the NSIS Cloud service is a milestone toward building Poland’s national system for access to and processing of Earth observation data. The platform is a central element of the NSIS infrastructure – a repository where data from subsequent Polish satellite missions and research initiatives will be collected. Therefore, NSIS Cloud is not a closed project, but an evolving service that will, over time, become Poland’s main hub for Earth observation data.
CloudFerro’s contribution to building European technological sovereignty
CloudFerro provides sovereign, European cloud services integrated with large-scale repositories of Earth observation satellite data, enabling access to satellite data, their processing, and the creation and scaling of EO data–based services. The company has built and operates both European and national platforms such as Copernicus Data Space Ecosystem, CREODIAS, WEkEO, and the German CODE-DE and EO-Lab. In total, the company’s infrastructure currently hosts over 100 PB of Earth observation satellite data used by more than 500,000 users. NSIS Cloud is another step in building a European network of open, sovereign, and interoperable data environments.
As a member of the consortium building the first national satellite constellation, CAMILA, CloudFerro is also responsible for ground-segment services, including the reception, processing, cataloguing, and distribution of Earth observation data. Thanks to experience gained in projects of European and global reach, the company strengthens its position as a strategic provider of cloud services for the space sector, supporting the development of innovative and sovereign data solutions in Poland and Europe.
For years, CloudFerro has been building European capabilities in Earth observation by providing cloud computing services for the EU’s largest projects, such as the mentioned above Copernicus Data Space Ecosystem and Destination Earth. Both programmes are crucial to Europe’s data strategy – the former is the world’s largest repository of Earth observation data, providing free and immediate access to data for all interested users, while the latter aims to create a digital model of our planet, enabling the simulation and monitoring of natural phenomena with unprecedented accuracy.
NSIS Cloud – key facts
- Coverage and data: access to a multi-petabyte repository of Earth observation data covering Poland and a 500 km buffer beyond its borders; the ability to add further collections (e.g., Landsat) and processed products (L2/L3, mosaics).
- Sovereignty: full control over data and processing in CloudFerro’s Polish public cloud (OpenStack), with no licensing dependencies (open-source stack).
- Architecture and integrations: modular platform with an analytical/GIS layer, cloud resource manager, reporting, and integration with the pilot NSIS platform.
- Scalability: flexible increase of resources (CPU/RAM/disk and optional GPU) as the number of users and data volumes grow.
- Usability: PL/EN interface with a straightforward path to add more languages; training; built-in adoption reporting (dashboards).
- Delivery: 5 stages from concept and requirements analysis to documentation, training, and the reporting module; delivered on schedule and submitted for formal verification by the Contracting Authority.
Key benefits for the country and users:
- Data availability: a broad set of EO collections for Poland and the +500 km region, including archival datasets and processed products; further resource growth planned with new missions.
- Sovereignty and security: data and computing remain within the Polish infrastructure, with access control on the POLSA side (whitelists/VPN, permissions management).
- Scalable cloud resources: requests for resources, allocations, usage monitoring, and reporting - all in one panel; the ability to increase capacity as needed.
- Usability and inclusiveness: interface in Polish (and English), training and e-learning materials, low entry thresholds for both beginners (viewing maps/layers) and advanced users (analyses, notebooks, processing).
- Interoperability: integration with the existing NSIS pilot platform, and readiness to add further collections and services.
To visit NSIS portal, go to: https://nsiscloud.polsa.gov.pl/app/cat