Civil and educational applications

Civil applications of Space technology

Space technology brings both practical humanitarian and environmental applications to French Guiana.

* Telemedicine – or remote medical examination – is now an everyday reality for many of the inhabitants of isolated communities, such as those along the river. In the five years since the first telemedicine kits were deployed, allowing remote diagnosis in various medical disciplines, the system has been gradually extended to eleven medical centres and stations in the interior. At the same time, the project has made French Guiana a world showcase for telemedicine. As with other such advances, it offers many new prospects: it can be extended to include coastal sites for a more integrated network, the system can be used in cooperation with or sold to neighbouring countries, further medical applications can be added etc.

* Network connections via the Immarsat and Intelsat satellites also help to reduce the medical and digital divide in French Guiana. In 2003, the successful experiment carried out at Grand Santi showed that satellite links could provide reliable high-quality connections to the network via the Intelsat satellite, bringing improved voice and digital communications to this isolated riverside community.

* The SEAS project, for satellite observation of the environment in the Amazon Basin, brings together several stakeholders. CNES/CSG participates in funding the station set up by the IRD (Institut de Recherche pour le Développement – a government research institute for sustainable development). CNES/CSG provided 2.9 million euros (75% of the total cost) and made its Montabo site available for installing the satellite receiving antenna. SEAS is a high-resolution receiving station for the exploitation of Earth observation satellite data from Spot 2, 4 and 5 (France) and Envisat (Europe). It will be a technology platform for developing research activities, training and operational services of immediate consequence to regional development.

* The Emergesat project will again make French Guiana a world showcase for Space-based civil applications. Emergesat is a field command centre providing communication and coordination equipment to be set up at disaster zones. It is fully compatible with telemedicine tools and consists of a container fitted with a satellite antenna and computing facilities. It can easily be transported by helicopter to a disaster zone to provide relief teams with an overall view of the crisis situation and includes decision-making services for help with mission coordination.

Education about Space

As a state-owned enterprise, CNES has a responsibility to pass on its specialist knowledge. Under the terms of a framework agreement signed with the regional education authorities on 10 March 2006, CNES is a partner in several teaching initiatives, provides support for the development of new technologies in French Guiana teaching establishments and participates in joint cooperative projects at national and international levels. It is planned that 3,500 11-12 year olds and 2,500 15-16 year olds should visit CNES/CSG in 2007 – 50% of the combined age-groups, with a target of 100% over three years. Outreach initiatives will bring CNES/CSG closer to schools along the river. Lastly, CNES/CSG awards scholarships for Guianese school-leavers to help them continue their studies (five in 2006).