26/05/2010
L'ON.MARCO AIRAGHI A DARMSTADT PER IL CONVEGNO ESA ESOC
L'On. Marco Airaghi, Consigliere del Ministro della Difesa, nella giornata di ieri ed oggi è a Darmstadt (Germania) per il convegno sulla sicurezza di ESA (European Space Agency).
Di seguito l'intervento del Consigliere del Ministro sull' uso dei sistemi satellitari per la sicurezza: "
Safety and security of our citizens are definitely considered major challenges of this century. A survey recently conducted by the European Commission has clearly showed that these topics are considered of the greatest importance by European citizens.
It is clear that the complexity of the present geopolitical and social context require from us at least an approach at European level, an approach at national level being simply unrealistic.
Having said so, one cannot hide the fact that whereas the United States appropriate funds on safety and security for 22 billion Euros a year, the EU commits only for 10 Bn Euros: needless to stress the fact that a much greater effort has to be done by the EU in this direction.
With the end of Cold War, the notion of safety and security has evolved significantly. Once strictly linked to the need of controlling our Eastern borders, the notion of security is at present related also to risks of different nature.
In its broader sense, we might say that today security means protection of our population and of our environment from any risks, both natural catastrophes and risks caused by human beings.
The most advanced satellite technologies of Earth observation from space are of great benefit for the control of such an extensive concept of security/safety.
I will now focus on the core of my short speech starting from the newly borne Cosmo-Skymed constellation.
You all know that on October 25th last, the third satellite of the Cosmo-Skymed constellation was launched from the US base in Vandemberg. It is a satellite planned by our Space Agency and built by our national industry.
This constellation, which will be completed by the launch of a fourth satellite on next autumn, puts Italy in the van of progress at international level in the field of technologies and systems for the observation of the Earth. Once the project will be completed, it will be possible to snap 1800 images a day, to sound the same point on the Earth every twelve hours so to single-out any change in respect with previous analyses. And all these activities will take place without interruption, since Cosmo-Skymed, contrarily to other similar systems of Earth observation, avails itself of very modern radar instruments that allow it to operate even at night and in adverse meteorological conditions.
Our system, although yet to be completed, has proved to be of extreme value in the occasion both of the cyclone that struck on Myanmar and of the earthquake that has hit on China than the L’Aquila one and, more recently, the earthquake that has hit Haiti. The Authorities from those countries have used the images taken by the first two satellites to assess the situation and the scale of devastation.
The satellite systems of observation of the Earth and in particular the constellation at stake, further to allow the constant vision of the territory and the control of security, they also allow to check the erosion of sea shores, the pollution of waters, cultivations and forestry resources, the conditions of soil, and even the stability of buildings since the images may focus on objects smaller that a meter.
It seems to me that these images may have a very broad scope of utilization: in the fight against construction abuse, since from the collection of all the images taken the Authorities may single-out those changes that might have occurred in the urban environment, consequently imposing sanctions. The same applies in the case of mismanagement of wastes thanks to the easier localization of illegal garbage dump.
Moreover the system allows the observation of volcanic eruptions, floods, tragedies like the tsunami of December 2004 or the fires that devastated Greece in summer 2006. The observation of the Earth by Cosmo may allow an early warning that could make us save thousands of human lives.
It will not take long before we obtain three-dimensional images, let alone the considerable commercial gains which are expected to come if one considers that the value of trade for environmental pictures taken from aircrafts and satellites has reached 6 bn dollars a year and that it shows a relentless growth. On this specific point, I regret the fact that there is a serious lack of preparation in the use of commercial data.
Actually, I confess that the problem I have just referred to does not concern Europe only; in fact, even the US Congress has emphasized in a recent report the serious problem due to the under utilization of these commercial data.
Let me remind briefly the steps undertaken to reach the actual stage of development of satellite systems and the international rules for human activities in the space.
The starting point of space flights, meaning by that the possibility of departing from the ground without using an aerodynamic push dates from October 4th 1957 when the first artificial satellite was launched.
The second half of the Twentieth Century has marked the start of what we call the “space era”, with the concrete possibility of using a different environment from the atmospheric space. I recall here the merits of Professor Brogli who made possible the brilliant participation of Italy to the development of aerospace activities (even with the satellite “San Marco”).
And here, as Italian, I am pleased to remind that, just behind the USSR and the US, Italy was the third Country in the world to launch in orbit a satellite, from Malindi, in that corner of Africa where the Italian flag is still flagging.
The extra-atmospheric exploration started in the Fifties, but the exorbitant costs have inevitably circumscribed it too few Countries and group of Countries. Despite this fact, we must acknowledge that even those Countries that were not involved in extraterrestrial explorations and in the exploitation of the space have contributed to the definition of international rules on space activities within the framework of the United Nations.
The major evolutions of the past years, together with the complexity of the most important programs implemented in Europe require an update of the rules in force and the adoption of more adequate and punctual international regulations in this field. I strongly believe in the urgency of moving in this direction.
Let me flag succinctly what the commitment of Europe is today in this sector.
The Preamble of the ESA Covenant (signed in Paris on May 30th 1975) underlines the European interest in this field and the European awareness of the key role of the space in view of reaching strategic objectives, for instance the improvement of quality of life for citizens, their socio-cultural development, and the security/safety of our Continent.
Moreover, the European Commission “White Book” published in November 2003 after thorough consultations with all the stakeholders, stressed the importance of the aerospace sector, the “new frontier of an expanding EU”, as it literally says. This Book also underlined the need for broad programmes that go beyond the mere extra-atmospheric research and that contribute to the development of the so-called “economy of knowledge” towards economic, industrial and technological growth in the Member States.
To reach these objectives indeed, two major infrastructures were singled-out: the satellite navigation system “Galileo” and the not less important “Global Monitoring for Environment and Security” (GMES).
I must reiterate that not a single Country would ever be able to face alone the complexity of these challenges.
I here come to GMES. This programme was launched together by the European Commission and the ESA and its purpose is to provide the European Countries with full autonomy in the acquisition and the use data necessary for the management of environmental resources (notably, waters, fishery, seas, atmosphere), for the prevention of risks and for security.
GMES is also contributing to the needs related to the implementation of the European Defense Policy, within the framework of Lisbon Strategy, and to the related initiatives of both the European Common Security Policy (ECSP) and the European Security and Defense Policy (ESDP).
The tele-detection of areas under humanitarian crises and the use of military instruments in peace enforcement and peace maintaining operations and even in the fight against international terrorism require the availability of means of launching, of positioning and of observation at a planetary scale. I am also thinking at the management of seas (so important for us Italians): control of navigation, of fishing, of environment, the management of maritime traffic, the fight against illegal trafficking, against smuggle as well as against illegal immigration.
Moreover, tele-detection could support the work of police forces in their activities against organized crime and illegal immigration, as well as for the security/safety of ground and air transportation.
GMES will certainly provide us with a great deal of data: let me stress how fundamental it is to build in parallel a sophisticated and efficient system of filing, of analyses and of elaboration of those data if we really want an effective control of security.
I also believe that the integration of data on observation and those on positioning is key if we want to get to an integrated system of potentialities that today we can hardly even imagine.
Let me draw now a few and succinct conclusions.
The GMES programme of Earth observation is of an incredible interest for Italy, as well as a unique challenge for our national industry. We have invested a lot as a Country in this field and we have developed a remarkable know-how. We are at the forefront of research in these specific technologies.
Therefore, we must assign the right value to Cosmo-Skymed as a technological asset and we must promote its integration in the European context also in view of its future evolution. It is clear to me that Cosmo could become the backbone of the European programme Musis.
I reiterate here the necessity that the creation of private companies dealing with the commercial exploitation of data should be supported, in order to stimulate, in the near future, the demand from privates beside that from the public sector. We must make sort that progressively the entire sector becomes less dependent on public investments, these last still being today vastly predominant.
We deserve new political and financial initiatives to facilitate the creation of synergies among the political, industrial and academic components of a Country and we must help the idea of a “Great European satellite group for the observation of Earth and for the development of its pertinent applications” by the big industry together with small and medium enterprises.
I am convinced that we must evolve from the concept of space as an objective to that of space as a mean: I intend to say that the survival of the major international programmes (those on research included) require an enormous effort of fund raising.
In these difficult times of general budgetary restrictions I deem necessary to highlight the positive fall-out for our citizens of these investments: this is the only way to convince our Authorities (national Ministers and EU Commissioners) to allocate additional funds. We must convince them of the benefits of these investments also for the tax payer.
And with no funds there will not be any space, neither as an objective, nor as a mean...
Let me clarify that I am not pretending to stop research for the sake of application programmes: I am perfectly conscious that we constantly need to invest in research; both applied and pure, if we want to have such an advanced technology.
But we have to invest also in research, not exclusively in it!
Another concept that is very dear to me and that I consider strategically crucial is the promotion of an ever close relation between the Italian Space Agency (ASI) and the Defence. By this I am certainly not pretending to militarize the space. The independence of ASI must be assured.
Nonetheless, especially in this period of budgetary cuts I consider a must the share of all available resources for a synergic action and a more efficient use of public funds, also in light of the strong duality of most of satellite technologies.
Another concept, the last one, that is very dear to me is the absolute necessity of strong synergies in Italy to better defend national interests, beside the interests of the industry (big and SMEs), of the scientific research, of the university, of ASI, of the Government. We must keep the key role of major player we have had in Europe till now.
Such an internal synergic system will permit us to face our partners courageously at continental level in order to build in the future a performing European system for the optimization of economic resources and for new and ambitious programmes, both in term of application (?) and of research and exploration.
I wish that public institutions and national industry may do a leap forward towards modern forms of investments, for instance Public Private Partnerships (or Public Public Partnerships...), or Project Financing. The aim is a more advanced management of service for the public sector and for citizens.
I return one more time on the great importance of a very narrow relationship between the national Space Agencies and the MODs... We must do it! We must maximize the value for money of the tax payers, the duality of all the space activities is out of any discussion!
From the European side: I’m convinced that European Defence Agency has already gained weight since its institutional creation. Even if it does not have the personnel and the budget resources for an extended european role, EDA is already at a crossroads in defining the responsabilities at the European Union level. As a coordination forum and a program agency, it could rely on existing Member States and european structures (such as ESA) to foster the development of european space programs for defence.
Its main tasks for space and defence clusters shall be: define capabilities; propose development programs and play a key role in orientation of space-defence research and technologies, through the coordination with national Defences and Space Agencies and ESA.
EDA must be coordinated with the European Commission on a specific topic: the “security” versus “defence” level: European Commission is allocating money to foster security research.
EDA is a unique forum to prepare the future of Research and Technology in Defence.
I am not underestimating the complexity of the challenges enumerated above but I am confident that our Nations have the tools, humane and technical, to overcome them."
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