The European Space Agency (ESA) and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) have signed a Memorandum of Intent (MoI) to collaborate on supporting the development and increased use of space-enabled solutions.
Under the MoI, which is linked to ESA’s Civil Security from Space (CSS) programme and R3 Accelerator within the Agency’s Connectivity and Secure Communications and Earth Observation Programmes directorates, the two organisations will collaborate on identifying the space-related needs of humanitarian workers across Europe and beyond.
The R3 Accelerator aims to ensure inclusive and easy access to space-enabled solutions to serve crisis management, including humanitarian operations. Through the CSS programme, these technologies and capabilities are being developed with a view to integrate space and terrestrial systems to ensure that end users – including humanitarian workers – can communicate and access actionable information anywhere, at any time.
ESA has a long-standing history of collaborating with the wider International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. The ESA Earth Observation Programmes directorate is collaborating with United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) and International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), with a view to enhance access to satellite Earth observation for humanitarian aid for natural disasters. Within the framework of the International Charter for Space & Major Disasters, ESA has set up a collaboration with the IFRC in response to their request to be granted access to Charter activations with United Nations Satellite Centre (UNOSAT) as intermediary. ESA also collaborates with IFRC on the evolution of the global digital ecosystem to support emergency management with initiatives like the IFRC GO platform, the Montandon database, and the geoinformation system for supporting the Charter Mapper.
ESA is also working with national Red Cross societies such as the Bavarian Red Cross and the Burkina Faso Red Cross. While the ICRC is separate from national Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, the collaborations with National Societies, and now the ICRC, showcases how European space-enabled technologies can be, and are, supporting vital humanitarian work taking place around the globe.
Through ESA’s Connectivity and Secure Communications, the Bavarian Red Cross has played a key role in a System Study on Rapid and Resilience Crisis Response. The study brought together European expertise, and has now led to the launch of the SAFEPLACE project, which began in September 2024 and in which the Bavarian Red Cross will continue to be involved.
As the globe faces a multitude of challenges, it is vital to ensure that neutral, impartial humanitarian organisations, such as the ICRC, have access to resilient solutions that enable them to work effectively in complex and fragile conditions. Space-enabled solutions provide crucial insights and operational tools to allow organisations to actively predict, react, and respond, positioning them to make faster, well-informed decisions in rapidly changing scenarios.
“In the face of emergencies, the ability to deliver actionable information to decision-makers anytime and anywhere can make all the difference for saving lives and livelihoods. This approach empowers humanitarian workers to make informed decisions in the best interest of affected populations, even in the most fragile and complex environments,” said Josef Aschbacher, ESA’s Director General.
“Working with the International Committee of the Red Cross enables ESA to play a pivotal role in making sure that humanitarian organisations have the right tools needed to help citizens of Europe and beyond - and even more effectively in the most trying scenarios. Our CSS programme will ensure that systems are developed to deliver maximum impact for aid workers and the communities that they serve,” said Laurent Jaffart, ESA’s Director of Connectivity and Secure Communications.
