Galileo saving lives – infographic
Galileo saving lives – infographic
Communications and navigation satellites are commonly associated with calling friends or navigating unfamiliar city streets, but did you know they are critical to respond to emergencies?
When disasters such as fires, floods and landslides disrupt ground networks, satellite communications remain available for first responders to stay connected. At the same time, satellite navigation helps optimise routes, enabling faster deployment.
These technologies also support public health and humanitarian efforts, from tracking pandemics to delivering medical supplies and enabling remote patient monitoring.
And they still hold immense potential. A new Galileo service, for instance, will soon allow national civil protection authorities to send alerts and instructions to a precise population target, even in areas with poor or no mobile signal.
Galileo to the rescue
COSPAS-SARSAT is the largest international cooperation effort on humanitarian Search and Rescue (SAR) activities, helping save thousands of lives annually. Since 2016, Galileo satellites contribute to the system by detecting distress signals from emergency beacons on ships, planes or people and relaying them to rescue authorities.
One of Galileo’s unique features is its return link: within minutes of activating an emergency beacon, people in danger receive confirmation that their signal has been received, boosting their morale while they wait for assistance.
In addition to COSPAS-SARSAT, Galileo supports emergency response more broadly. It is also automatically activated in most EU countries when one calls 112 from a mobile phone and it helps locate people involved in road accidents across the continent thanks to eCall.
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Galileo infographic: 'Saving lives from space'
Galileo infographic: 'Saving lives from space'
ARTES 4.0: Safety & security
Space and Security on Earth are inextricably linked. The deployment of advanced secure satellite systems is crucial for resilient and secure connectivity on Earth.
Mapping for disaster management
Copernicus services provide Earth observation data for six main domains. One of these is emergency response. Services for emergency environmental management help to mitigate the effects of natural and manmade disasters such as floods, forest fires and earthquakes and contribute to humanitarian aid exercises. Within the domain of emergency response, the Copernicus Emergency Management Service (CEMS) can be activated to provide satellite data for wildfires, droughts and floods. It can provide a mapping service as well as data for planning and risk mitigation, all free of charge.
ESA also provides emergency mapping services through another channel: the International Charter Space and Major Disasters. Initiated in 1999, this is a joint effort between 17 space agencies as well as partners and cooperating bodies, support rescue authorities with their satellite resources in the event of disasters. The Charter provides data from a multitude of satellites through a unified system to support disaster management. By combining Earth observation assets from different space agencies, the Charter allows resources and expertise to be coordinated for rapid response to major disaster situations, thereby helping civil protection authorities and the international humanitarian community.
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International Charter Space and Major Disasters
Every year, millions of people around the world are affected by natural or human-made disasters. The increased frequency and intensity of disasters such as storms and floods, coupled with the exposure of vulnerable populations and assets, have put disasters high on the list of modern-day challenges.
Services through Copernicus
Copernicus is all about delivering products and services to manage and protect the environment and natural resources, and ensure civil security.
Copernicus
Looking at our planet and its environment for the benefit of all European citizens