Two recent events have highlighted the potential of space-based information in supporting disaster management. One was the Sichuan Earthquake, in which the National Disaster Reduction Center of China (NDRCC) had access to over 1,300 satellite images, and the other was the inauguration of US President Barack Obama, which was captured from space by the GeoEye-1 satellite sensor.

The Sichuan earthquake, suffered on 12th May 2008, affected eight provinces of China with an overall population of 348 million. NDRCC took the lead in using space-based information to support emergency relief efforts. Within half an hour the first map was produced, and the day after the earthquake post-disaster imagery had already been acquired and made available to China by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency and the Italian Space Agency. Over the next several weeks NDRCC received and processed nearly 1,300 images from 22 sensors, made available by eleven countries and the European Space Agency. This event highlighted the increasing availability of space-based solutions and information to support response efforts.

During the inauguration of President Barack Obama on January 20th 2009, at 11:19 Hrs (EST), the GeoEye-1 satellite acquired a 0.41m natural-colour satellite image of this historic event, marking it with a view from space of the more than two million spectators attending the inauguration. Many news organisations had requested the image and less than six hours after its recording it appeared on television screens around the world. The image clearly identifies the crowds in the various areas of activities. This event highlighted the current status of commercial imagery, more specifically the fact that a commercial company can be tasked to monitor an event and quickly make available high-resolution images.

These two events demonstrate the many current opportunities for countries wanting to access and use space-based information to support disaster management. They also show that imagery turnaround time can meet the specific needs of emergency-response teams. The challenge now is to ensure that any country in the world can access these same resources and use them to support their disaster management needs. This is the mission mandate given the United Nations Platform for Space-based Information for Disaster Management and Emergency Response (UN-SPIDER Programme) by the United Nations General Assembly in December 2006. It is being implemented by the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA), with the support of a Network of Regional Support Offices, already established in Algeria, Iran (Islamic Republic of) and Nigeria. Additional offices are planned for Romania, South Africa and Ukraine.