zprávy

The recent severe droughts and extremely high temperatures in Hungary, led rivers and lakes to dry up, negatively impacting the country’s economy and ecosystem. With that in mind, EUSPA, together with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Hungary and Eurisy, co-organised a workshop on Satellite-based Services for Disaster Risk Management. Held in Budapest, the workshop brought together national and regional stakeholders to discuss how satellite-based services can support both disaster risk management and search and rescue operations.

Dr. Orsolya Ferencz, Ministerial Commissioner for Space Research at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, presented an overview of Hungary's space strategy and outlined its implementation milestones. Speaking about the workshop, Dr Ferencz stated, "This gathering is important in addressing the challenges we face in emergency situations. By leveraging innovative tools and satellite technologies, we can make evidence-based decisions and better respond to disasters."

Visualising with Copernicus 

Copernicus, the EU Earth Observation programme provides up to date, near real-time optical information about disasters such as wildfires and floods. 

More precisely, the Copernicus Emergency Management Service (Copernicus EMS) uses data from a range of satellites and ground-based sensors to provide information about the location, extent, and behaviour of fires and floods. This information helps emergency responders make informed decisions regarding where to direct resources and in the case of fires, how to contain the blaze. The service is provided free of charge to all users.

But there’s more. Wildfires are a significant source of air pollution which poses a threat to human, animal, and plant populations. 

When a disaster such as a wildfire strikes a region, it is important to have access to precise and up-to-date information for the delivery of an effective disaster management response. The Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS) can monitor emissions which can, in turn, be used in smoke forecasts. These forecasts are used in air quality apps to help people limit their exposure to pollution, and by policymakers and local authorities to manage the impact of fires. 

Sajó is a river that flows between Slovakia and Hungary turned orange in March 2022, probably due to an episode of iron pollution

Secure and reliable positioning with Galileo and EGNOS 

Galileo, the EU global navigation satellite system and EGNOS the EU’s regional navigation system have revolutionised various sectors of the European economy such as agriculture and transportation. But their contribution goes even further by helping to save lives. 

Take for example the European 112-emergency number. As of March 2022, it became mandatory for all mobile phones sold in the European Single Market to be Galileo enabled. When someone places an emergency call, the emergency responder will receive their location information with an accuracy down to just a few metres. The improved accuracy has a major impact in terms of response times, ultimately allowing for quicker intervention in emergency situations where every second counts – resulting in more lives being saved. The ability for 112 to communicate a caller’s location automatically to emergency services is possible thanks Advanced Mobile Location (AML) system which is already available in Hungary.  

Likewise, in case medical assistance is needed, helicopter operators and pilots can rely on EGNOS to land safely, especially when visibility is reduced due to fire smoke or fog. Additionally, services like the Galileo High Accuracy and OSNMA services ensure that drones deliver accurate mapping as well as assistance to inaccessible areas due to natural disasters such as earthquakes. 

Equipped with a wide-range of sensors for capturing Earth Observation data and navigated using GNSS positioning, advanced drones can now provide firefighters with another layer of information – and protection.

Communicating with GOVSATCOM and IRIS² programmes 

GOVSATCOM and IRIS² will provide robustly protected communication, filling the gap for secure communication alongside Galileo and Copernicus. These solutions enable secure and cost-efficient communication for critical missions, operations, and infrastructure. EUSPA, in collaboration with Member States and other entities, oversees the procurement, operations, and user coordination of the secure ground segment (GOVSATCOM Hubs).

The power of synergy

Rodrigo da Costa, Executive Director of EUSPA, provided the European perspective on the integrative use of components from the European Space Programme. “Galileo, EGNOS, Copernicus, are powerful tools individually, but an exponential achievement is reached when used in synergy. Soon, the addition of GOVSATCOM and IRIS² will add an extra layer of efficiency in the management of disasters by providing secured and uninterrupted satellite communications to EU Member States. The Emergency Management and Disaster Response sector is one of the key sectors where this synergy is saving lives”. "As an agency focused on meeting user needs, EUSPA closely monitors this market and actively develops and delivers new space-enabled services to address its requirements" he stated.

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European Union Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the EUSPA website (http://www.euspa.europa.eu).

Just as Indiana Jones captivates audiences with his new adventures, EU Space technologies captivate modern archaeologists, offering new possibilities for exploration and discovery in the field of archaeology. 

Modern archaeologists have made GNSS and Earth Observation their tools of choice.

Take for example GNSS, which has emerged as the tool of trade for many archaeological projects. “Before GNSS, the archaeological excavation process was both cumbersome, hands-on and physically demanding,” Shane McCartney, a consultant archaeologist at Earthworks Archaeological Services Inc., tells XY Ht magazine. “We’d be out in the field with 50-metre tapes and pen and paper in hand trying to triangulate, grid and count off the number of paces from such reference points as ‘the big pine tree next to the fence.’”   

Not only is this process very slow, it’s also prone to error. That’s why archaeologists have largely ditched the tape and paper and instead rely on the precise positioning provided by GNSS. Using Galileo, Europe’s GNSS programme, they can now quickly survey a field site, accurately map the location of any uncovered artefacts and compile all the data into an easy-to-use GIS system.   

EO to the rescue 

The role of EU Space in archaeology doesn’t end with the excavation. After all, once an artefact or site is uncovered, it then needs to be preserved – something that’s becoming all the more challenging due to climate change. In fact, it’s estimated that as much as 5% of our 1,121 UNESCO World Heritage sites are in danger and in need of increased protection. 

Here too, EU Space can help. 

For instance, in Rhodes, archaeologists are using Earth Observation data provided by Copernicus Land Monitoring Service (CLMS) to monitor the impact settlement pressure is having on the island’s cultural heritage sites.

Founded in 408 B.C., the area’s rich history is still very much visible today – including parts of the ancient necropolis, monumental graves, cave sanctuaries and a Roman bridge. Unfortunately, all this important cultural heritage is being threatened by the island’s constantly shifting soil.  

As part of the pan-European component of the CLMS, the European Ground Motion Service (EGMS) provides an unprecedented opportunity to study geohazards and human-induced deformation such as slow-moving landslides, subsidence due to groundwater exploitation or underground mining, volcanic unrests and many more. The EGMS also serves as a starting point for investigation of ground motion affecting buildings and linear infrastructures.  

“To prevent further damage to the monuments and adopt effective conservation measures, we need accurate and up-to-date information on land deformation,” says Sotiris Patatoukos, Head of the Department of Conservation, Ephorate of Antiquities of the Dodecanese, in this video produced by Eurisy.  

With the support of the EU-funded HYPERION project, authorities in Rhodes are using Copernicus data to better understand land movement and how such movement is impacting various archaeological sites. After collecting more than 100 images between 2016 and 2019, researchers discovered that the area around the Rodini cultural site had experienced a 10 mm uplift. With this information in hand, archaeologists were able to take action to stabilise the most threatened monuments.

“Facilitating the early recognition of potential risks to the monuments and allowing us to regularly monitor land deformation in the area, Copernicus is an essential tool for preserving our cultural heritage,” Vassiliki Patsiada, an archaeologist at the Ephorate of Antiquities of the Dodecanese, tells Eurisy.    

So, when you’re out exploring Europe’s plethora of cultural heritage sights this summer, remember, while fedoras look great for selfies in front of the Colosseum or Acropolis, its EU Space that’s working to preserve those iconic backdrops.   

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European Union Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the EUSPA website (http://www.euspa.europa.eu).

Whether it’s wildfires in Canada or a deadly earthquake in Turkey, natural and manmade disasters highlight the importance of having innovative tools and solutions for resilient risk management and response.  With end-users always at the core, the EU Space Programme continues to evolve offering services that contribute to the safety and wellbeing of European citizens.

Developed by the Directorate General for Defence Industry and Space (DEFIS) of the European Commission, the Emergency Warning Satellite Service will support and complement the current civil protection services by taking advantage of the 24/7 availability of Galileo signals and the resilience of its infrastructures.

How will this new life-saving service work?

The Emergency Warning Satellite Service (EWSS) utilises Galileo’s messaging function to transmit an alert to smartphones with instructions to follow depending on the area the user is located in. The service is not based on the mobile network, it can reach any smartphone with a GNSS chip in a specific target area with satellite coverage. This feature enables the service to reach people in rural regions with poor mobile signal and can even be available during a disaster that affects the ground infrastructure.

EUSPA Chief Operating Officer, Pascal Claudel explains: ‘’The EWSS provides national civil protection authorities with a 24/7 “satellite” channel enabling them to broadcast alerts to the population. ‘’This comes in addition to the multiple existing national alert services such as mobile networks, TV, radio, sirens, internet or social networks, and is completely independent of terrestrial mobile networks,’’ he concludes.

This future Galileo alert service is designed to be received directly on any device capable of processing Galileo signals: smartphone, car navigation, fixed receiver on the roofs of buildings for display on public billboards, etc.

EWSS is not Galileo’s only emergency service. Galileo Search And Rescue Service (SAR) helps to save lives in emergency circumstances. Recently, a sailor in a solo round-the-world yacht race was saved thanks to the positioning given to rescuers by his emergency beacon after waves destroyed his vessel.

Two demonstrations based on a true disaster

The demonstration of the EWSS was carried out as part of a Horizon Europe STELLAR Project which has been receiving funding from the European Union. The first demo aimed to replicate the deadly explosion which occurred at the AZF facilities in September 2001 in Toulouse, France and claimed the lives of 31 people. 

This exercise took place in three different sites:

A: The operation centre of the Haute Garonne prefecture, responsible for issuing the alert

B:  The Galileo Search and Rescue service centre based at CNES facilities in Toulouse 

C: In the city of Toulouse where mobile phone users received the alert messages.

The EWSS demonstration conducted by the STELLAR consortium was met with great success and enthusiasm. The service efficiently transmitted distress messages to citizens' mobile phones within seconds of activation. With Galileo's superior accuracy, end users were able to visualize the affected area with precision.

The demonstration was carried out in the presence of the French Ministry of Interior, the Prefecture of Haute-Garonne, and civil protection authorities (SAMU, Town Hall, Firefighters/SDIS).

A similar exercise took place on June 30th, 2023, in Leverkusen, Germany replicating the Chempark explosion which occurred two years ago. 

STELLAR brings together a unique consortium of EU companies with expertise in satellite navigation and emergency management. It is led by Telespazio France, together with CNES, EENA, F24 and Thalès Alenia Space.

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European Union Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the EUSPA website (http://www.euspa.europa.eu).