PEGASUS: A future tool for providing near real-time high resolution data for disaster management

Abstract

Today, geo-information acquired by remote sensing techniques is more and more used for the management of all the phases of a crisis or disaster situation. Information is generally provided either by spaceborne or by airborne instruments. However, both technologies suffer some limitations. It is thought that a High Altitude Long Endurance (HALE) Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) can combine advantages of both approaches and reduce to the minimum the disadvantages. The Flemish Institute for Technological Research (Vito) has therefore decided to develop a system combining a HALE UAV with some state-of-the-art high resolution sensors for Earth Observation in the framework of the PEGASUS project. The present paper describes the project concept, the payload definition and some possible applications in the framework of disaster management. © 2005 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.