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Official shows a world-wide value for ERAST
X-Press Editor NASA's Environmental Research Aircraft and Sensor Technology Program (ERAST) is maturing technologies in aircraft that could be used world wide to monitor crops and for better predictions of the impact of natural disasters. These uses and many others make ERAST projects potentially world-wide problem solvers, said Larry Roeder, U.S. Department of State senior policy advisor on the International Emergency Information Program. Roeder told about 300 people attending Dryden's ERAST Exclusive Preview event Oct. 13 that the high fliers proven through flight research could be a critical step toward a better understanding the global environment and better planning for natural disasters. "The Department of State has been on a journey with NASA in search of innovative approaches to disaster management. What we have discovered is ERAST is clearly on the right track to do that and also to develop commercially valuable products," Roeder said. NASA is America's great innovator and the ERAST Program could lead to solutions that lessen some of the world's dangers and save billions each year through the unique attributes of the ERAST high fliers, he said. The rise of natural disasters and their costs, such as the hurricane that devastated North Carolina, illustrates the need for better information that could be safely gathered with remotely piloted high fliers with special sensor packages, he said. A major hurricane has the potential for more than $30 billion in losses and about three a year hit U.S. territory. A series of natural disasters could render insolvent a third of our insurance industry, he said. Population growth in disaster prone areas is one reason for the losses. Some of the costs are: o The annual losses to the world equal half a trillion dollars. o A repeat of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake or 1857 Los Angeles earthquake would cost in excess of $200 billion. o Thousands have died in earthquakes this year. "The bottom line is that disasters must be thought of as systematic risks to the world society ñ events triggering a chain of events that cripple a society and where repairs can't be made in the short term without incurring very considerable costs," Roeder said. He called for a united effort among business, government, academia, individuals, volunteer agencies and the international community. One way he said the international community is working together is through the development of the new Global Disaster Information Network, or GDIN. GDIN is an international partnership begun by the U.S. to share disaster information from all sources and at the lowest cost. But the information must be the right information in a way that it can be used. That's where ERAST aircraft could play a critical role, he said. ERAST aircraft could prove to be the right tool for the job, instead of depending on other options, such as satellites, that might not always be available. During a volcano eruption in December 1996, lava threatened a refugee camp. There were no color printers or e-mail at the site. Roeder found a satellite with the right sensor for the job and obtained black and white maps of the volcano's contours, basic navigation features and the lava flow. He then faxed the information to assist in disaster planning. ERAST aircraft could have much more easily been positioned in the right place with just the right sensor for the job in that same situation, he said. A global deployment of ERAST platforms like Helios that could be moved over volcanoes or trouble areas at will would be more reliable and effective in disaster management. "The Mexican government is thinking just along those lines. Why not have Helios fly back and forth over all the volcanoes that straddle the middle of Mexico, providing reliable remote sensing information at less cost than mega-million- dollar satellites or traditional aircraft?" Roeder asked. These ERAST high-altitude platforms are not designed to replace satellites, but to augment them in the expensive task of disaster mitigation, he said. ERAST could provide a way where tools could be leased across the world less expensively than current mitigation plans. That equals smaller loans from the World Bank, less debt servicing, and more stable politics and economics for countries hit with devastating natural disasters. "What if we could use the high-grade quality of ERAST data to convince ordinary people why they shouldn't live in harm's way ñ or at least improve their construction methods?" Roeder asked. "In other words, instead of telling people where to move or how to live, we give them the tools to understand how to do it right and prosper at the same time." If we work together, the world will get better forecasting and better mitigation and response. That will help us develop disaster-resistant communities, making North Carolina, California, Hawaii and the rest of us stronger and safer," he said. A transparent ERAST aircraft like Pathfinder or Helios could also make countries, where leaders fear remote-sensing platforms will risk their economic and national security interests, feel more secure. "At the Mexico City GDIN Conference in May, we introduced ERAST to many disaster experts from Latin America and the rest of the world. They were very impressed," Roeder said. Using ERAST technology to provide the best in remote sensing and telecommunications without the risks could be that tool, Roeder said. And its name, as is its mission, is PeaceWing. "Our plan is to fly the plane over a portion of Africa next year to test PeaceWing," Roeder said. AeroVironment aircraft are proposed because they are solar-powered and transparent. "The venue for PeaceWing will likely be Africa. Large numbers of animals traditionally migrate between Sudan and South Africa. This is also where a drought is building. Drought mitigation is essential. With drought comes malnutrition, pneumonia, dysentery, other diseases and political unrest," Roeder said. |
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Responsible NASA Official: John Childress For questions, contact: Dryden Web Group Page Curator:WD-Team Modified: October 28, 1999 |
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