The International Charter “Space and Major Disasters”, created in 2000 by France’s CNES and ESA, received the International Astronautical Federation’s 2026 World Space Award at the opening ceremony of the IAC in Antalya on 5 October. CNES President François Jacq and Emilie Bronner of the Charter’s executive secretariat accepted the team prize alongside the other member agencies. The Charter has been activated more than 1,052 times and has helped more than 146 countries, handing free satellite images and maps to rescue and civil-protection teams after floods, earthquakes and storms. Partners include UNOOSA, UNOSAT and Sentinel Asia. Our take: a rare prize for something that quietly works — free satellite data, delivered within hours, when a disaster strikes.
1,052+activations since 2000
146+countries helped