A SATELLITE network that gave advanced warning of catastrophes such as
hurricanes and oil spills would save countless lives. Yet governments are
letting a golden opportunity to set up such a network slip away, says a leading
space scientist.
The proposed network could provide round-the-clock monitoring of the entire
planet for the first time. It would raise the alarm at the first sign of a
disaster and would give relief workers invaluable data as events progressed,
says Richard Holdaway, director of the Space Science Division at the Rutherford
Appleton Laboratory in Oxfordshire.
鈥淭oo many parts of the world are not monitored,鈥� agrees Philippe Boulle,
former head of the UN鈥檚 International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction. 鈥淚t
is a terrible tragedy that nobody is doing something about it.鈥�
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Using imaging technology such as infrared and optical cameras and
synthetic-aperture radar, the network could spot a wide range of disasters, from
volcanic eruptions, earthquakes and oil spills to forest fires, landslides,
industrial pollution, algal blooms, hurricanes and tsunamis. To provide 24-hour
global coverage, at least 180 satellites are needed, says Holdaway, who was
asked to carry out a feasibility study by Britain鈥檚 Office of Science and
Technology (OST). Existing satellites can鈥檛 provide such coverage, he says
(see p 3).
Launching so many satellites would be prohibitively expensive. But the
instruments could be piggybacked on other satellites. As luck would have it,
Teledesic, a company based in Bellevue, Washington, is planning to put 288
telecommunications satellites into low circular polar orbits.
Low orbits are ideal for disaster monitoring, as they provide greater
accuracy than is possible from higher orbits. 鈥淢ost of the systems for
monitoring hurricanes are geostationary, for instance, so you can鈥檛 see very
much detail,鈥� says Holdaway.
Working with Teledesic would bring the price tag down to about $600
million, a fraction of the $400 billion disasters cost globally each
year. But Holdaway hasn鈥檛 heard from the OST since he presented his
findings.
鈥淭hey have not done anything,鈥� he says. 鈥淭his could well be the last chance
we have to do anything with the cooperation of a satellite communication group.鈥�
The OST told 快猫短视频 it has put the recommendations to the
relevant international agencies.
Teledesic has made no firm commitment, but it could carry an extra 20
kilograms in each satellite鈥攎ore than enough for the instruments. 鈥淚f it
proves to be something we can accommodate and is something that is good for
humanity, we would definitely be interested in discussing it further,鈥� says
David Patterson, Teledesic鈥檚 chief scientist.
It is already too late for Teledesic鈥檚 first round of launches in 2003. But
the company will launch the remainder of its constellation in 2005 and 2006.
That gives governments and international organisations six months to reach an
agreement, Holdaway says. 鈥淭he clock is ticking.鈥�
Even advanced countries such as the US could benefit, Holdaway says. This was
shown two years ago with Hurricane Irene. 鈥淭hey evacuated a large part of
Florida because even in the last hours they couldn鈥檛 tell which way the
hurricane was going,鈥� explains Holdaway. Lives were lost needlessly as a result,
he says.
Just launching the network is not enough, says Richard Saull of the British
National Space Centre. 鈥淯nless you can get the information to the people on the
ground you may as well not bother.鈥�