Earth Monitoring Satellites Supporting Rescue Efforts in El Salvador
Responding quickly to support rescue efforts converging on El Salvador, member space agencies of the International Charter on Space and Major Disasters have dispatched their Earth observation satellites to capture images of the devastation caused by last Saturday’s earthquake.
In response to a request received January 15 through the French Civil
Protection Agency, the International Charter on Space and Major Disasters
was activated to help the international rescue teams that have rushed to El
Salvador. The satellites of the rescue constellation have been re-tasked to
support the emergency. These include, the French Space Agency’s optical
series satellite (SPOT), and the synthetic aperture radar satellites of the
European Space Agency (ERS-2) and the Canadian Space Agency (RADARSAT-1).
The combination of these satellite resources is providing emergency rescue
organizations with imaging that is captured day and night and in all weather
conditions. Up-to-date maps and information obtained from archived and newly
acquired images are being forwarded to the rescue authorities as soon as
they are available. Positioning, operation and image capture are being
coordinated by the International Charter partners.
The International Charter on Space and Major Disasters is the expression of
a collective resolve to put space technology at the service of rescue
authorities in the event of a major disaster. Its current signatories are
the European Space Agency (ESA), the French Space Agency (CNES) and the
Canadian Space Agency (CSA). The Charter is open for signature by space
agencies and satellite operators anywhere in the world. All partners
undertake to cooperate on a voluntary basis, with no exchange of funds
between them.
The International Charter was set up in the framework of the UNISPACE III
Conference of the United Nations in 1999 and has been in force since
November 1, 2000. In a first operation, assistance was provided to rescue
organisations following a major landslide in Slovenia on November 17, 2000.
About the Canadian Space Agency (CSA)
Developed and operated by the Canadian Space Agency, RADARSAT-1 is Canada’s
first Earth observation satellite and the world’s first operational
commercial synthetic aperture radar system. RADARSAT-1 is providing Canada
and the world with timely and critical data to assist disaster relief and
emergency rescue efforts and the information required by commercial and
scientific users in the fields of agriculture, cartography, hydrology,
forestry, oceanography, ice studies and coastal monitoring.
Established in 1989 and situated in Saint-Hubert, Quebec, the Canadian Space
Agency coordinates all aspects of the Canadian Space Program. Through its
Space Knowledge, Applications and Industry Development business line, the
CSA delivers services involving: Earth and the Environment; Space Science;
Human Presence in Space; Satellite Communications; Generic Space
Technologies; Space Qualification Services and Awareness. The Canadian Space
Agency is at the forefront of the development and application of space
knowledge for the benefit of Canadians and humanity.
About ESA To monitor and understand both man-made and natural changes to our
atmosphere, land and oceans in every part of the world, satellites orbiting
the Earth are the best solution, as they gather comprehensive information.
ESA developed and launched two Earth monitoring satellites, ERS-1 (in 1991)
and ERS-2 (in 1995), carrying purpose-built instruments including the
Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR), a high-resolution imaging radar producing
high quality colour images of land regions, oceans, coastal zones and polar
ice, day and night irrespective of weather conditions and cloud cover.
ERS-2 circles the Earth at a height of 800 km and completes an orbit every
100 minutes, crossing both poles and covering the entire globe in just three
days. ERS-2 will be followed this year by the new-generation environmental
satellite, Envisat, to be put into orbit in July by an Ariane 5 launcher.
The European Space Agency is an international organisation established in
1975 to provide for and to promote, for exclusively peaceful purposes,
cooperation among European states in space research and technology and their
space applications. ESA has 15 Member States: Austria, Belgium, Finland,
France, Denmark, Germany, Italy, Ireland, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal,
Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. Canada takes part in some
projects under a cooperation agreement.
ESA is responsible for drawing up and carrying out the European space plan.
Its activities span the fields of space science, Earth observation,
telecommunications, satellite navigation, human spaceflight, microgravity
research, space transportation systems and technology development. Ariane
(launchers), Meteosat (meteorology), ERS (Earth observation), the
International Space Station (human spaceflight) Galileo (satellite
navigation) and Rosetta (cometary science) are a few examples of the many
programmes for which ESA is entirely or substantially responsible.
ESA has its headquarters in Paris, France, and establishments in the
Netherlands, Germany and Italy, a launch base in Kourou, French Guiana, and
offices in Washington, Moscow and Brussels.
About the French Space Agency (CNES — Centre National d’Etudes Spatiales)
(*) The SPOT satellites are developed and built jointly by France under CNES
responsibility, Belgium and Sweden. Spot Image is responsible for marketing
SPOT images worldwide.
As a national space agency, CNES is in charge of conceiving, directing and
implementing French space policy. It is actively engaged in developing the
use of space to meet the civil and military needs of public authorities and
satisfy the requirements of the scientific community, and fostering the
development and dissemination of new applications designed to create wealth
and employment. CNES also drives space science policy, particularly in the
field of Earth sciences.
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Information
Canadian Space Agency (CSA)
Caroline Lavallée
Senior Communications Officer
Telephone: (450) 926- 4370
European Space Agency (ESA)
Jerome Béquignon
Telephone: + 39 06 94180656
French Space Agency (CNES)
Sandra Laly
Press Officer
Telephone : + 33 1 44 76 77 32
