title: Recent field experiments with commercial satellite imagery direct downlink.
abstract: US Pacific Command's strategy includes assistance to United States government relief agencies and nongovernment organizations during humanitarian aid and disaster relief operations in the Asia-Pacific region. Situational awareness during these operations is enhanced by broad interagency access to unclassified commercial satellite imagery. The Remote Ground Terminal-a mobile satellite downlink ground station-has undergone several technology demonstrations and participated in an overseas deployment exercise focused on a natural disaster scenario. This ground station has received new commercial imagery within 20 minutes, hastening a normally days-long process. The Army Geospatial Center continues to manage technology development and product improvement for the Remote Ground Terminal. Furthermore, this ground station is now on a technology transition path into the Distributed Common Ground System-Army program of record.
authors.affiliation: Engineer, Ft. Leonard Wood, Missouri.
authors.forename: Anthony R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Gonzalez
authors.affiliation: US Army, Retired, Virginia.
authors.forename: Samuel H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Amber
mesh_terms: D000533:Altruism; D004189:Disaster Planning; D004190:Disasters; D006801:Humans; D007391:International Cooperation; D008889:Military Personnel; D063809:Satellite Imagery; D013997:Time Factors