ISO/IEC 18026:2009规定了定义空间定位和相关信息处理的相关方面的空间参考模型（SRM）。SRM允许精确和明确地指定几何属性，如位置、方向和距离。SRM满足了广大用户群体的需求，这些用户在计算密集型应用中有一系列精度和性能要求。 ISO/IEC 18026:2009的各个方面适用于但不限于: 制图、制图、大地测量和图像； 地形； 基于位置的服务； 海洋学； 气象学和气候学； 行星际和行星科学； 嵌入式系统；和 建模和模拟。 应用程序接口支持30多种形式的位置表示。为了确保一致地执行空间操作，应用程序接口指定具有被定义为确保几何属性的替代表示之间的高精度转换的功能的转换操作。 ISO/IEC 18026:2009并不打算取代ISO/TC 211、ISO/TC 184、国际天文学联合会（IAU）和国际大地测量协会（IAG）制定的标准和规范。它适用于其空间信息需求与ISO/TC 211、ISO/TC 184、IAU和IAG工作范围中的两个或多个应用领域重叠的应用。

ISO/IEC 18026:2009 specifies the Spatial Reference Model (SRM) defining relevant aspects of spatial positioning and related information processing. The SRM allows precise and unambiguous specification of geometric properties such as position (location), direction, and distance. The SRM addresses the needs of a broad community of users, who have a range of accuracy and performance requirements in computationally intensive applications. Aspects of ISO/IEC 18026:2009 apply to, but are not limited to:

1. mapping, charting, geodesy, and imagery;
2. topography;
3. location-based services;
4. oceanography;
5. meteorology and climatology;
6. interplanetary and planetary sciences;
7. embedded systems; and
8. modelling and simulation.

The application program interface supports more than 30 forms of position representation. To ensure that spatial operations are performed consistently, the application program interface specifies conversion operations with functionality defined to ensure high precision transformation between alternative representations of geometric properties. ISO/IEC 18026:2009 is not intended to replace the standards and specifications developed by ISO/TC 211, ISO/TC 184, the International Astronomical Union (IAU), and the International Association of Geodesy (IAG). It is applicable to applications whose spatial information requirements overlap two or more of the application areas that are the scope of the work of ISO/TC 211, ISO/TC 184, the IAU, and the IAG.