World Humanitarian Day: How EU Space helps those who save lives

Every emergency response depends on accurate positioning, timely observations and reliable communications. Together, Galileo, Copernicus and GOVSATCOM help emergency responders make faster, better-informed decisions when lives are at stake.

Imagine a wildfire spreading across a remote region. Roads are cut off, communications fail and rescue teams race to reach people trapped by the flames. Rescue teams must understand how the wildfire is evolving, which roads remain accessible, and where it is safe to deploy personnel.

This is where the Copernicus Emergency Management Service (CEMS) comes in. Using satellite imagery, CEMS produces emergency maps showing the extent of the disaster, damaged infrastructure and safe access routes, giving emergency responders the situational awareness they need to coordinate their response.

This summer, the CEMS has been activated to support the response to major wildfires in France, Spain and Greece, providing emergency mapping products to assist authorities and first responders on the ground.

During major disasters, effective coordination also depends on reliable and assured communications. When terrestrial networks become unavailable or overloaded, GOVSATCOM provides secure, resilient and rapidly deployable connectivity, helping civil protection authorities and emergency services stay connected throughout the response.

These communication capabilities were demonstrated in October 2025 as part of the EUSPA Horizon-funded GEXTRECS project. Simultaneous disaster simulation exercises carried out in Spain and Germany demonstrated how a pre-prepared 'package' of dynamically allocated resources (GOVSATCOM, Galileo, and Copernicus) could support emergency teams in quickly and effectively coordinating their response while maintaining the stability and security of the satellite communications system.

Another EUSPA Horizon-funded project, EUSATFINDER, brings together satellite communications and location capabilities with drones for enhanced situational awareness.

Looking ahead, EUSPA is also working to strengthen Europe's ability to alert people before danger reaches them. Currently under development, the Galileo Emergency Warning Satellite Service (EWSS) will swiftly broadcast alerts globally, allowing national civil protection authorities to directly transmit to smartphones (or any Galileo-enabled devices) for enhanced emergency response and resilient risk management.

Space capabilities for a more resilient Europe

As Europe faces more frequent climate-driven disasters alongside an increasingly complex security landscape, enhancing crisis response capabilities has become a growing priority. Earlier this summer, the European Commission proposed five joint defence projects aimed at reinforcing Europe's industrial capabilities, including initiatives related to EU Space that support resilience, security and crisis management.

While these services are designed to support governments and emergency authorities, their impact is ultimately measured in human terms. On World Humanitarian Day, these capabilities remind us that humanitarian action depends not only on the people responding to emergencies, but also on the technologies that help them reach those in need quickly, safely and effectively.

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