What is the Copernicus EMS rapid response service activated to trace the Iranian President ? | Explained Premium

Understanding the Copernicus EMS rapid response service which was activated by the European Union to trace the Iranian President after his helicopter crashed.

The story so far: As part of a multi-agency effort to locate a helicopter carrying Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi that crashed in East Azerbaijan province on Sunday (May 19), the European Union activated its emergency satellite mapping service at Iran’s request as adverse weather and darkness hampered search and rescue operations.

“Upon Iranian request for assistance we are activating the EU’s Copernicus EMS rapid response mapping service in view of the helicopter accident reportedly carrying the President of Iran and its foreign minister,” European Commissioner for Crisis Management Janez Lenarčič said on X. “The provision of a Copernicus EMS satellite mapping upon request for facilitating a search and rescue operation is not an act of political support to any regime or establishment. It is simply an expression of the most basic humanity,” Mr. Lenarčič later added.

On Monday morning, the helicopter was found after an extensive search, with state media confirming that President Raisi, Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian and other officials were found dead at the crash site located near the border with Azerbaijan.

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The rapid response mapping technology is a critical component of the Emergency Management Service (EMS) within the Copernicus programme. Named after the renowned 15th-century scientist Nicolaus Copernicus, the programme is the earth observation component of the European Union’s space initiative. Copernicus was launched in 1998, and was earlier known as the Global Monitoring for Environment and Security Programme (GMES).

The programme uses global data from satellites, and ground-based, airborne, and sea-borne measurement systems to provide environment-related information to researchers, policymakers, public authorities, international organisations, and commercial and private users to address issues related to climate change, disaster management, and agriculture, among other uses.

The space segment uses a group of satellites, called the Sentinels and the Contributing Missions. It is complemented by a ground segment which includes in-situ sensors that provide access to the Sentinels and Contributing Missions data.