ESA and safety & security applications
We live in an ever-changing world, with immediate, emerging and long-term risks. With the increasing breadth and diversity of global challenges, the understanding of 'safety and security applications' as a notion has become much broader, extending beyond the traditional military definition.
Today, many space programmes such as weather and Earth observation satellites, the Galileo Public Regulated Service, satellite-based communications, and European launchers serve national and European civil and defence needs on a daily basis. Space is required in order to adequately avoid, mitigate or manage most risks to our society and economy.
'Safety & security applications' on Earth cover a very wide scope of threats that can be difficult to predict. These threats are constantly increasing in scale and diversity and involve a growing number of state and non-state actors. Four categories can be identified:
- State and collective security, covering the fight against terrorism or organised crime and illegal activities, as well as supporting law enforcement, border and maritime surveillance and control, protecting critical infrastructures, and civil protection.
- Security of people, which includes ensuring health and education, supporting democratic processes, addressing migration flows, reducing social vulnerabilities, monitoring and fighting climate change, and supporting the prediction, prevention and management of natural and anthropogenic disasters.
- Access to resources, covering all essential resources including food production and distribution, access to drinking water, sanitation, management of water bodies, and energy.
- Critical economic activities including society resilience, security of maritime, aviation, road and rail transport, reduction of technological hazards, and the safety and security of infrastructure.
Some threats can be intertwined at different levels. For example, risks emerging as a consequence of climate change, entailing natural or anthropogenic disasters, can lead to a scarcity of energy, food, water, or other resources. This may in turn result in migration and trafficking of people.
Depending on their geographic location or global priorities, ESA Member States have specific regional concerns linked to safety & security applications. The Arctic, Baltic and Mediterranean regions all have different needs. Some Member States have specific interests in other parts of the world. Some have large maritime zones. Space applications in safety & security cover these regional concerns.
At a European level, the European Union has various structures and agencies dealing with security. The EU has recently reinforced its work with the European Defence Fund as well as defence cooperation between Member States in the form of PErmanent Structured COoperation (PESCO) initiatives. ESA works with the European Defence Agency in several areas of joint interest, from R&D to applications.
Furthermore, threats to security can be economic or societal in nature. They may impact sovereignty, territorial integrity, values, social models, populations, raw material supply, and strategic/vital interests, as well as peace and stability beyond national borders. In this context, 'hybrid threats' have gained increased visibility, calling for dedicated measures and approaches.
Space programmes, assets, services and technologies are addressing safety & security applications and will do so even more in the future. The role of space includes identifying risks, monitoring their evolution, informing the public and stakeholders, and mitigating their effects.