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3.3 General prospects and trends to improve the status quo 
Each of the application fields implies an individual set of meas 
ures and trends to improve the status quo. The general prospects 
for disaster warning and support may serve as an example. They 
can be grouped into the following main topics: space, ground, 
and program segment. 
Trends in the space segment: The trends of technology devel 
opment in the space segment relevant for disaster management 
are characterized by: 
• Higher performance of micro-satellites busses due to new 
developments on the component and subsystem level such 
as onboard computers, data handling systems, transmitters, 
solar arrays, batteries, GPS-receiver and others, 
• Higher performance optical payloads for small satellites 
suitable for disaster monitoring tasks (high geometric and 
radiometric resolution, more spectral channels), 
• Investigation of the feasibility of passive Radar (SAR) 
micro-satellites flying in formation with an active Radar 
satellite, 
• Low-cost satellite technology makes operational satellites 
affordable for dedicated constellations, 
• Novel international partnerships show new ways for new 
space nations to achieve effective systems through collabo 
ration, 
• Building of disaster monitoring constellations with small 
and micro-satellites, 
• Decreasing the revisit time for monitoring tasks by using 
different satellites and constellations, 
• Experimental on-board remote sensing data processing to 
produce a high level data product. 
In summary, one can say that small satellites can provide data 
more quickly with a better match to user needs. 
Trends in the ground segment: The trends in technology 
development for the ground segment relevant to disaster man 
agement are characterized by: 
• increasing the flexibility of mission operations of satellites 
by building a flexible ground segment, 
• building of networks of ground stations for increasing the 
satellite operational performance and data access without 
time delay, 
• improving response time in imaging according to user re 
quirements, 
• data processing and distribution to the final user without 
delay, 
• data policy is in many cases to restrictive for fast disaster 
response and must be addressed beforehand, 
• distribution of data and algorithms for support of disaster 
management using COTS products running on personal 
computers will enable better use of the data, very 
small ground stations for in-situ measurements with data 
transmission facilities via satellites are available and they 
are independent on existing infrastructure, 
• data processing and modeling of disaster conditions by 
experts are in progress, but there are gaps in the information 
extraction process for decision makers, 
• tailoring of information for particular users, 
• improving and disseminating knowledge of the utility of 
space-based sensor information. 
In summary, technology developments in the ground segment 
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