This initiative is part of ESA's Civil Security from Space (CSS) programme and builds on previous collaborations with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.

On February 21, 2025, the European Space Agency (ESA) and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) signed a Memorandum of Intent to leverage space technology for global humanitarian assistance.

Satellites will play a crucial role in keeping humanitarian teams connected, even when ground communications fail, while Earth observation capabilities will assist in monitoring situations and identifying urgent needs.

Key challenges in humanitarian crises include the necessity for accurate information and resilient communication, especially in fragile and conflict-affected areas.

The collaboration aims to combine ESA's space expertise with ICRC's humanitarian outreach to create space-enabled solutions for communities affected by disasters and conflicts.

This collaboration marks a significant advancement in applying space technology to humanitarian challenges, with a focus on crisis response, prevention, and risk assessment.

Josef Aschbacher, ESA’s Director General, highlighted the importance of delivering actionable information to save lives and support informed decision-making during emergencies.

Together, they plan to develop a system that integrates satellite and terrestrial data, providing real-time actionable information for first responders and humanitarian workers.

The partnership aligns with ESA's Rapid and Resilient Crisis Response (R3) accelerator, which aims to enhance access to space-enabled solutions across all phases of crisis management.