Rome 18 December 2018 17:30
e-GEOS, a leader in the geo-information services sector and a joint venture between Telespazio and the Italian Space Agency, has signed a contract with the Government of Saint Lucia for setting up an Early Warning System to support the management of weather-related emergencies that frequently hit the Caribbean island.
e-GEOS will provide a complete “geo-information center” on the island combining the unmatched technological capacities of the Italian COSMO-SkyMed satellite constellation with data generated by weather radar and the company’s know-how in the strategic sector of emergency mapping. e-GEOS is able to provide pre and post-event satellite maps covering the whole globe within few hours, supporting rescue operations following catastrophic weather events, including hurricanes.
The new “geo-information center” and related platforms and services will allow the local authorities to increase the alert capacity in case of extreme weather events, and to provide a rapid evaluation of damage after the event itself. The center will be operated by the SLUMET (Saint Lucia Meteorological Services) Weather Centre on St. Lucia and by the National Emergency Management Organisation (NEMO), responsible for managing emergencies.
Massimo Claudio Comparini, Head of Telespazio’s Geo-information Line of Business and CEO of e-GEOS, said: “The agreement signed with the Government of Saint Lucia once again demonstrates the efficacy of the Leonardo Group’s satellite technology for monitoring the effects of climate change and to support globally and timely the effects and the emergencies caused by these phenomena. e-GEOS has operated in the geo-information services sector for more than 10 years and, thanks to large investments in research and development, has developed a technological know-how recognized all around the world”.
Notes to the editor about COSMO-SkyMed
COSMO-SkyMed, funded by the Italian Space Agency, the Italian Ministry of Defence and the Italian Ministry of Education, Universities and Scientific Research, is the first “dual use” Earth observation system, spanning both civil and military applications. Its four satellites “watch” our planet from space day and night under all atmospheric conditions, using high resolution X-band radars. Thales Alenia Space (Thales 67%, Leonardo 33%) is the program prime contractor, responsible for the entire system, while Telespazio (Leonardo 67%, Thales 33%) developed the ground segment and hosts the Constellation Control Center at the Fucino Space Center. e-GEOS is the world-wide exclusive distributor of COSMO-SkyMed data.