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To unleash its full potential for decarbonising European transport, the rail sector must operate more  efficiently and integrate the latest technologies to advance the digitalisation of the rail system, thereby providing high-quality customer services. ERTMS provides the European Union with a unique opportunity to create a safer, more resilient and interoperable railway network.

Among others, ERTMS aims to make rail transport more competitive by replacing Europe’s different national train control and command systems with a single, coordinated and highly digital solution. To do this, ERTMS aims to rely on data and services from the European Space Programme, namely, the European satellite navigation systems. 

Further, according to EUSPA, more than 150,000 freight wagons in Europe are equipped with Galileo/EGNOS receivers to provide more accurate information about the wagon position. Precise location is used for asset and fleet management purposes, becoming a crucial element for efficient supply chain operations and services to customers.

Not only does Galileo provide precise positioning and localisation, but when augmented by EGNOS and other data sources, it has the potential to replace the expensive physical balises used to monitor train speed and streamline rail operations.

Read this: EU Parliament calls for fast adoption of satellite-based train localization in railway signalling

Galileo and EGNOS potential become even greater when its positioning is complemented by Earth Observation. For example, railway operators can use the Copernicus Land Monitoring Services and Sentinel-1 data in particular to measure displacements, including landslides and ground subsidence to prevent rail damage or other risks that could endanger the safe operation of trains. 

A unique rail event with many opportunities 

EUSPA, ERA and the European Commission are joining forces and invite you to the second edition ‘Space for Innovation in Rail – Towards Satellite Based ERTMS’. 

The two-day event will gather Europe’s major transport stakeholders, including key decision makers and railway sector representatives across the entire value chain to debate the introduction of the European Union’s Space Programme assets in the rail sector. The main focus of the event will be on the utilisation of the European Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) for fail-safe train localisation within the European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS) evolution.

On the 14th of September, after the official conference programme, the participants will have an opportunity to take part in four unique site visits. Space is limited and will be assigned on a first come, first served basis, so make sure to express your interest in the registration form available below.

"I believe this event will be the best opportunity to reflect on how the EU Space Programme can support railway sector to become digital, taking advantage of the EU Space assets and services to further improve its operational efficiency and reduce the cost of the signalling infrastructure" says EUSPA Executive Director, Rodrigo da Costa. 

You can register here and download the full programme here. 

The event is organised under the auspices of the Spanish Presidency of the Council of the European Union. 

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).

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).