Prospective users of European space systems for civil security and defense purposes have said their top priorities are quicker response to emergencies and more assets under European, as opposed to U.S. or other foreign, control, the European Space Agency (ESA) has concluded.
ESA is developing a data-relay service as part of a partnership with a future private-sector operator that would ensure quick delivery of imagery in Europe. The agency is placing laser data-relay terminals on two of its future Earth observation satellites, and similar gear will be on the data-relay satellites in geostationary orbit.
During the first few days after January’s earthquake in Haiti, less than a third of the satellite imagery available for Europe’s Global Monitoring for Environment and Security service was from European satellites.
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Source: Space News
