Space Assets for Disaster Response

NSBE Space Special Interest Group

Region 5 Strategic Planning and Research Conference

Space Assets for Disaster Response



Agenda

• Orbital Mechanics Primer• Existing Assets• NSBE Opportunities to Contribute



Orbital Mechanics Primer• Where are space assets?

– Space is huge– Orbiting earth means asset:

• Is somewhere inside a sphere with a radius of nearly 23,000 miles• Is moving along a typically fixed, elliptical path causing it to pass

over specific points along the earth at known intervals

• Field of View• Main types of relevant Earth orbits:

– Low Earth Orbit– Molniya Orbit– Geostationary Orbit



Field of View

• Amount of Earth an instrument or antenna aboard a spacecraft can see at a particular point in time

• Circular cone projected from spacecraft to Earth



GeostationaryOrbit

• Satellite located along the equator at altitude of 22,300 miles above the surface

• Revolves around the Earth once per day – thus appears to remain in a fixed position over the ground

• Eliminates need for ground equipment to track satellite – can point antenna permanently at satellite’s location– Substantially simplifies space communications systems– Much more expensive to reach than other orbits– Require greater power to transmit across distance



Low Earth Orbit

• Satellite in orbit with altitude between the atmosphere and the Van Allen Radiation Belt (124 – 726 miles)

• Most human spaceflight is in LEO• LEO used for some communications

applications, but for many remote sensing satellites

• Requires active tracking by ground stations



Molniya Orbit• Initially developed by Soviet

Union• Highly elliptic orbit with apogee

in northern hemisphere and perigee in southern hemisphere

• Orbital period of 12 hours• Satellite spends most of its time

over a designated area of Earth – apogee dwell

• Requires active tracking by ground stations



Existing Assets

• Satellite Communications• Remote Sensing



Satellite Communications

Image courtesy Intelsat



Satellite Communications

• "Satellite communications played a critical role during the response to man-made and natural disasters,"

– Satellite Industry Association (SIA) Chairman Tony Trujillo

• Satellite Phone Networks– Described as “essential tools” by First US

Army Chief of Staff during Katrina



Hurricane Katrina/Rita Example

• Globalstar and Iridium fielded over 20,000 satellite phones

• Other satellite communications companies provided additional service

• First goal was to meet needs of emergency responders, then to help restore regional communications in advance of recovery of ground-based networks



Hurricane Katrina/Rita Example• Better preparations needed

– Need single umbrella organization in US Department of Homeland Security for satellite resources

– Need networks in place before the disasters– Need better integration into emergency

communications network– Need paradigm shift from reactionary to

prepositioned and prepared



New Zealand Red Cross “Talking Briefcase”

• Iridium satellite phone• Solar panel & spare

battery• Watertight case• Rugged – can drive a

truck over case; intended to survive a tsunami



New Zealand Red Cross“Talking Briefcase”

• Designed to survive disasters so can be used immediately after – allowing reports days before aircraft can land

• Multiple power options – water tight power socket, crocodile clips (connect to car battery), solar panels, and battery

• Developed for New Zealand Red Cross in preparation for Cyclone season



American Red Cross “Lynx”

• 9 Modified Ford Excursion SUVs– Phone and radio, digital satellite TV, and live

video transmission– Allows Red Cross to eliminate reliance on local

infrastructure– Increases speed at which Red Cross can provide

service to disaster clients– Beneficial cost savings to Red Cross



Telehealth Training Exercise

• Greenville, North Carolina, 2002– Demonstrate and test telemedicine networks and

rapidly deployable satellite, local wireless, and mobile monitoring technologies

• Used an array of satellite systems– Iridium and Globalstar satellite phones– Inmarsat Global Area Network systems– Starband (Telstar-7 satellite)– Global Communications Solutions 212



Telehealth Training Exercise• Demonstrated potential for tremendous

benefit, but not part of disaster plans (at that time)

• Despite systems being activated for the exercise, participants did not use them– Hospitals experienced problems communicating

(traditional switchboards overloaded) but did not use satellite based videoconferencing links



Telehealth Training Exercise

• Revealed need to better incorporate networks into disaster plans, advertise their availability, and use them in disaster drills



Remote Sensing

• Long used to forecast intensive weather hazards, now providing new capabilities

• Committee of Earth Observing Satellites formed Disaster Management Support Group (DMSG) in 1997 for disaster support– Goal to improve coordination among providers

and users of civil Earth observing satellite data– Focus was earthquake, fire, flood, ice,

landslide, oil spill, and volcanic hazards



DMSG Findings• Disaster managers often recognize the value of,

and are willing to use, new satellite technology, but may be reluctant to do so, since the technology is unfamiliar and unproven in an operational environment

• Suggested ways for the space community to respond– Mutual dialogue, more user-friendly tools, and

demonstrations– Defining emergency scenarios to assist the

International Charter



2000 Panel

• Hosted by DMSG, convened four commercial remote sensing operators

• Identified barriers to improving use of satellite data for disaster management support– Poor requirements identification– Lack of funding and contracts– Insufficient training– Need to derive information from multiple sources and

integrate into a usable format



2001 Workshop

• DMSG developed handbook of emergency scenarios– Describes what to do when a particular type of

disaster occurs– Unlike International Charter (only activates

once a disaster occurs), focus is on all phases of disaster: mitigation, preparedness/warning, and relief/response/recovery



International Charter Space and Major Disasters

• Established in 2000• Provides authorized users access to wide variety of

space-based information• Includes agencies from European Union, United

States, France, Canada, Argentina, India, and Japan• Been activated ~100 times; 38-48 hour response time• Satellite fleet includes

– LANDSAT 5/7, SPOT 4/5, RADARSAT-1, ENVISAT, RESOURCESAT-1, SAC-C, NigeriaSat-1, ALSAT-1, BILSAT and UK-DMC (once launched, Beijing-1)



How the Charter Works

• Disaster Occurs• Authorized User (AU) (bodies authorized to

request services of the charter) contacts On-Duty Operator (ODO)

• ODO verifies caller as an AU and transmits information to Emergency On Call Officer (ECO)



How the Charter Works

• ECO processes information and tasks appropriate space agencies

• Space Agencies (charter members) plan acquisitions and program satellites to acquire requested data

• Value Added Reseller (VA) further processes and interprets data and delivers to the end user



Disaster Monitoring Constellation

• New member of the International Charter• International collaboration of space organizations

– Centre National des Techniques Spatiales (CNTS), Algeria– National Remote Sensing Centre, Ministry of Science and Technology

(MoST), China– National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA), Nigeria– TUBITAK BILTEN, Turkey– Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd, United Kingdom

• Provides rapid response disaster imagery from space• Supplied coverage during Katrina, Indian Ocean Tsunami, and

provided data to UN for the Internally Displaced People camp in Safur, Sudan

• Providing a 24-hour emergency satellite planning service to the International Charter satellite fleet (DMCII)



DMCII• DMC Imaging International• Recently hosted training with US Geological Survey for

Emergency On Call (ECO) Services with International Charter

• Attendees included– European Space Agency (ESA)– Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales (CNES)– Canadian Space Agency (CSA)– Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)– Comision Nacional de Actividades Espaciales (CONAE)– Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).



DMC Katrina Response• Activated by request from International Charter• First image acquired by NigeriaSat-1 on Sept. 2• Delivered to US Geological Survey• Provided wide area coverage to identify areas for more

detailed mapping

400 km x 220 km



NigeriaSat-1 Katrina Imagery• Vegetation shown as

red• Brown indicates where

vegetation has been blown away

• Flooded areas visible as dark areas, with lighter lines indicating roofs

• Column of smoke from burning buildings in the wharf area visible

• Stadium visible through the smoke



NSBE Opportunities to Contribute

• Support for organizing bodies– Many warned of problems Katrina exposed, but

were ignored or de-prioritized• Education of municipal governments

– Many are unaware of useful space assets or need assistance understanding the technology

– Some lack the technical expertise to select from among potential options



NSBE Opportunities to Contribute• Bring technology to the community

– Promote “talking briefcase” type kits in at risk communities

– Design ruggedized solar power kits for pre-positioning in high risk areas

– Develop emergency scenarios for at risk communities to help local planners or relief agencies

– Conduct training sessions for emergency responders



NSBE Opportunities to Contribute• Technical venture: low-thrust technology

demonstrator satellite– Pulsed plasma thruster or ion engine for spiral trajectory

from low earth orbit to geostationary or molniya orbit• Low thrust engine simplifies problem of reaching high orbits

– Construct as a microsatellite and fly as a secondary payload

– Precursor projects: (build experience base)• Simple microsatellite(s)• Ion or pulsed plasma engine• Transmitter/Receiver• Solar power systems

Documents

Space Assets for Disaster Response