18 November 2025

1,000 activations for the International Charter

In an era of growing natural and technological disasters, timely and accurate information is critical for saving lives, protecting critical infrastructure and guiding recovery. The International Charter: Space and Major Disasters (hereafter “the Charter”) is one of the most important mechanisms by which the global space-community contributes to disaster relief. By pooling satellite Earth-observation resources, and offering a single access point for disaster-response authorities, the Charter provides satellite-based data and information in the immediate aftermath of crises.

Received on November 3^rd, 2025, exactly 25 years after the Charter became operational, the activation for the earthquake in Afghanistan marks its 1,000^th activation. This milestone offers an opportunity to review the Charter’s history, its operational model, major activations, achievements and challenges ahead.

Twenty-five years ago, the Charter set out with one mission: when disaster strikes, deliver free satellite-derived data and imagery rapidly to support disaster response efforts. Since then, it’s been called into action 1,000 times, stepping in and responding to natural and man-made disasters in 146 countries. What’s made this journey even more extraordinary is how far the technology has come. In the Charter’s early days, satellite images were impressive but limited. Today, thanks to huge leaps in satellite technology, the Charter constellation is comprised by more than 270+ satellites, circling above, expanding coverage, improving timing, and building redundancy so no disaster goes unseen.

From a small, hopeful idea to a global space-powered safety net — the Charter’s story is one of quiet heroism and relentless innovation, always driven by a simple truth: when people are in danger, every second and every pixel matter.

Foundation, Mission and Principles

The Charter grew out of a recognition in the late 1990s that while many space-agencies operated Earth-observation satellites, their data were rarely mobilised in a coordinated fashion for humanitarian disaster relief. Following the UNISPACE III conference in July 1999, the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Centre National d’Etudes Spatiales (CNES) of France, together with the Canadian Space Agency (CSA), initiated the Charter. It became operational on November 1^st, 2000.

The Charter is an international collaboration among 17 space agencies and satellite operators whose objective is to make satellite imagery and derived products available free of charge to support relief organisations after major disasters — natural or technological — wherever they occur in the world.

It operates over key principles, including:

• Universal Access: Originally the Charter could only be activated by Authorized Users in Member states; over time it introduced the principle of Universal Access: national disaster-management authorities (or their delegations) can apply to become “Authorized Users” and trigger the Charter
• Rapid response: A single 24/7 access point allows activations at any time; satellites are tasked, and value-added specialists prepare maps and products as early as possible after the disaster
• Voluntary cooperation: Member agencies contribute satellite resources and expertise on a best-effort basis
• No cost to the user: Data and derived products are offered free to the requesting Authorized User

Significance and Impact

For 25 years, the Charter has played a pivotal role in strengthening disaster response, demonstrating the impact of coordinated space-based support.

• Enabling Rapid Response: The Charter’s ability to deliver satellite data and actionable maps within hours or days of a disaster plays a vital role in informing national disaster authorities, first responders, and humanitarian agencies. For instance, mapping flood extents or building collapses helps prioritise search & rescue, allocate resources, and plan logistics.
• Global Equity and Access: By offering the service free of charge and ensuring any country (subject to AU registration) can request assistance, the Charter advances global equity in disaster support. Many vulnerable countries benefit from access to sophisticated space assets they would otherwise lack or receive through time-consuming mechanisms.
• Leveraging Space Technology for Humanitarian Good: The Charter sets a model for how space agencies can contribute directly to humanitarian and disaster-risk-reduction efforts. It helps bridge the gap between high-technology satellite systems and on-the-ground response.
• Awareness and Capacity Building: The Charter also promotes capacity building e.g. trainings for Charter Project Managers (PMs) and AUs and awareness of how space data can benefit disaster management.

1,000^th Activation: Symbolic & Substantive Milestone

Reaching 1,000 activations is more than a number — it symbolises the maturity, scale and global integration of the Charter. A few points to reflect on:

• Scale of Demand: 1,000 activations in 25 years (2000-2025) means an average of ~40 activations per year. In recent years, the rate has increased (50+ per year).
• Breadth of Use: These activations cover floods, storms, earthquakes, volcanoes, oil spills, industrial accidents, across 146 countries
• Types of Disasters Covered: Weather-related disasters such as floods, ocean storms, landslides, wildfires, ice/snow hazards – representing 79% of all Charter activations - while solid earth-related hazards (e.g., earthquakes, volcanic eruptions) represent 16% of all Charter activations. Activations for oil spills, search and rescue of aircraft and industrial accidents are marginal.

• Access to the Charter: 45% of Charter activations have come from the direct activation by the AU of the country where the disaster has occurred. 55% of Charter activations have been requested by AUs from another country, the UN, or Sentinel Asia. The number of AUs is increasing thanks to the Universal Access initiative. By the end of 2024, mandated organisations of 43 countries prone to natural disasters have become AUs via the Universal Access initiative.

• Demonstration of Resilience: The Charter has proved robust through changing hazard types, technological evolution, and global crises
• Anchor for Future Growth: The milestone invites reflection on where to go next: faster turn-around, more sensors, more regional capacity, deeper integration with early-warning and recovery phases

On November 3^rd, 2025, the United Nations, through its UNOSAT branch, requested the activation of the Charter following a 6.3 magnitude earthquake near the city of Mazar-e Sharif in Afghanistan. The event occurred on November 2^nd, 2025. A preliminary report indicates 20 deaths and 400 injuries. UNOSAT requested this activation in order to identify affected areas and support search and rescue operations.

Once more, the Charter stood ready, satellites were mobilised, maps were produced, and decision-makers received critical information — all under the umbrella of a 24/7 global cooperation.

In general, pre and post images of a disaster area show massive damages. But sometimes, like in the case of this 1,000th activation, the illustration below is not showing much damage. This is an opportunity to highlight that, within the Charter context, the number of Value-Added Products (VAPs) is not always the key indicator of relevance. Even space imagery showing no visible damage provides important information, though its value is often less apparent.

Looking ahead, the 1,000^th activation milestone invites important reflection about the Charter’s future. Key questions emerge: How can the Charter reduce the time it takes to deliver the first useful products? In what ways can more countries be empowered to fully benefit from its capabilities? How might the Charter deepen its role beyond immediate response, contributing more directly to recovery and reconstruction efforts? And, crucially, how can emerging technologies—such as AI-driven damage assessment and automated processing workflows—be harnessed to strengthen and accelerate its impact?

Conclusion

From its inception in 2000 to its 1,000^th activation in 2025, the International Charter: Space and Major Disasters stands as a landmark in humanitarian space-cooperation. It turns high-technology satellite assets into actionable information for people in crisis. Its value is magnified at a time of escalating disaster risk — more extreme weather, more vulnerable populations, greater infrastructure exposure.

Yet the journey is not complete. Reaching 1,000 activations is an opportunity to refine, adapt and expand. To ensure that the next decade of activations delivers even greater speed, accessibility, and impact — especially for the most vulnerable nations. As disasters increase in number, intensity and complexity, the Charter must evolve in parallel.