Satellite Constellations for the Recovery of Areas hit by Natural Disasters

The capabilities offered by satellites in terms of Earth observation and telecommunications are well known. The steadily increasing availability and performance of this important, high-technology resource allows to consider responsive spacecraft mission, with limited launch cost, devoted to promptly help areas hit by natural disasters. The note proposes specific orbital configurations able to serve the sub-tropical belt, which is probably the part of the Earth most damaged by these phenomena. The focus is on the repetition interval, the shorter the better, to provide remote sensing opportunities for damaged areas. At the same time, these low altitude configurations can offer auxiliary, emergency communication services from low power portable terminals. The combination of several satellites operating in these orbits, potentially injected with a single launch, builds a constellation able to provide significant services to the disaster's area.