Ways to access DEA data
We're working with you to offer multiple pathways to satellite imagery and data.
Last updated:18 June 2024
There are several ways to access Digital Earth Australia (DEA) data products and the most common methods are introduced on this page.
- To find data by product, explore data by geography and get data updates, browse our data and products
Questions about accessing data can be raised to our Slack community and all interested users are encouraged to visit our resources for developers.
Access via DEA Maps
Helpful if you want to: interactively explore DEA data on a map
DEA Maps is an interactive map-based website that provides access to DEA's products to help users to make more informed decisions.
Access via the DEA Sandbox
Helpful if you want to: play and experiment with limited DEA data
The DEA Sandbox is a free learning and analysis environment for getting started with Digital Earth Australia and the Open Data Cube. It includes limited sample data and Jupyter Notebooks that demonstrate the capability of the Open Data Cube.
Access via Amazon Web Services (AWS)
Helpful if you want to: use DEA data in your own AWS environment
We store a range of satellite data products on Amazon Web Service's S3 buckets. Amazon Web Services (AWS) is a subsidiary of Amazon, providing on-demand cloud computing platforms and APIs to individuals, companies, and governments, with free and metered pay-as-you-go plans.
A free AWS instance will give you free access to all our data in AWS and a managed Python environment. Your use of the data will be limited by your available CPU, RAM, and disc space. You can subscribe to DEA's Simple Notification Service in AWS which will alert you to new DEA data.
Existing AWS account holders can build DEA data into their existing environment and workflows.
All new AWS users — for free or paid plans — must first create an AWS account
Access via the National Computing Infrastructure (NCI)
Helpful if you want to: analyse and access entire DEA datasets
The National Computational Infrastructure (NCI) is Australia's leading high-performance data, storage, and computing organisation, located at the Australian National University in Canberra. The NCI is custodian of the nation's most powerful supercomputer.
Digital Earth Australia's Open Data Cube project was launched in collaboration with the NCI and DEA datasets remain available via the platform to eligible Australian government and academic users. To access DEA data via NCI users must apply to the NCI and be approved to gain an account.
Access via Open Web Services (OWS)
Helpful if you want to: use DEA datasets in GIS software, or your own web application
Open Web Services (OWS) is a software function that allows web applications to interact with one another using an API and standard protocols.
Standards commonly applied to geospatial data include Web Map Service (WMS), Web Coverage Service (WCS), and Web Map Tile Service (WMTS). These standards are defined by the international Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC).
The Datacube-OWS server allows users to interact with a DEA Open Data Cube instance using client software such as QGIS, or a web mapping library like Leaflet or Terria.
Related resources
Introduction to the DEA Sandbox
The Sandbox is a space for experimentation with DEA data and the Open Data Cube.
Training: DEA for Geospatial Analysts
Get familiar with DEA’s development sandbox using Python to access and explore DEA satellite data.
Digital Earth Australia recognised for excellence
The DEA Open Data Cube receives Outstanding Digital Platform of the Year.
The Open Data Cube
The Open Data Cube is the platform that makes our satellite imagery and data accessible. It’s also an open source project that’s gone global
What is analysis ready data?
The careful processing of satellite data is fundamental to its usability, and we’re making world-leading strides in this work.