Search Rescue SatelliteAided Tracking S SARSAT A R

Search & Rescue Satellite-Aided Tracking S SARSAT A R S A T

What is Cospas-Sarsat? ? ? COSPAS = Cosmicheskaya Systyema Poiska Aariynyich Sudov Which loosely translates into: “The Space System for the Search of Vessels in Distress” SARSAT = Search And Rescue Satellite Aided Tracking In short, Cospas-Sarsat takes the “search” out of Search & Rescue

Rescues In 2001: ü 1, 545 persons rescued in 365 SAR events - 1341 maritime rescues in 239 SAR events - 83 aviation rescues in 47 SAR events - 121 land rescues in 79 SAR events Since 1982 over 14, 000 lives rescued via Cospas. Sarsat! Nearly 5, 000 in U. S. AOR’s alone!

Rescues in 2001

Emergency Beacons • Two types: 121. 5/243 MHz and 406 MHz • Three applications: - Emergency Position Indication Radio Beacons (EPIRB) - Emergency Locator Transmitters (ELT) - Personal Locator Beacons (PLB)

121. 5 MHz Beacons • Older technology • Not designed for satellite processing (no store & forward capability) • Analog signal only = no identification code • Does not have global coverage! • Low power ( < 1 watt) • Less rigid standards • Poor location accuracy = Usually no better than 12 miles • USMCC handles 400 -600 ‘hits’ per day. 99. 5% are false!! Will Not Be Detected by Satellites After February 1, 2009!

243 MHz Beacons • Similar to 121. 5 MHz beacons • Primarily used by the military • Many existing 121. 5 MHz also transmit on 243 MHz • Will Not Be Detected by Satellites After February 1, 2009!

406 MHz Beacons • Newer technology • Designed for satellite processing (store & forward) • Global coverage • Digital signal • Increased power (5 watt) • Unique Identification • Rigid specifications • More Accurate = 2 - 3 mile location accuracy. Even better with integral GPS units = 100 meter accuracy!

Beacons with Navigation Input • Improved accuracy • Instantaneous detection 406 MHz with GPS 406 MHz 121. 5 MHz

Space Segment • Two types of satellites • Low-Earth Orbiting Search and Rescue (LEOSAR) • Geostationary Orbiting Search and Rescue (GEOSAR)

2 Types of Satellites: • Space Segment Low Earth Orbiting Search And Rescue (LEOSAR) (8) Satellites in Orbit: • - COSPAS 4, 9, 10 - SARSAT 4, 6, 7, 8, 9 Geostationary Orbiting Search And Rescue (GEOSAR) (4) Satellites in Orbit: - GOES 8, 10 - INSAT 2 B - MSG (recently launched & undergoing testing)

Satellite 406 MHz beacon detections can be stored on board the satellite and re-broadcast later LUT 121. 5/243 MHz Beacon Detection of a 121. 5/243 MHz beacon requires mutual visibility between beacon, satellite and ground station (LUT) Satellite LUT 406 MHz Beacon

Local Mode (‘Bent Pipe’) Operations

Global Mode (‘Store & Forward’) Operations

Typical Satellite Footprint GEO Footprint LEO Footprint

Typical 121. 5/243 MHz Coverage “Holes”

LEOSAR Local User Terminals (LEOLUT) • Track COSPAS and SARSAT satellites • Recover beacon signals • Perform error checking • Perform Doppler processing • Send alert to Mission Control Center

California United States LEOLUTs Guam Maryland (Deployable LUT) Texas Hawaii Alaska Puerto Rico

LEOSAR Local User Terminals (LEOLUT) – 41 Locations Worldwide

GEOSAR Local User Terminals (GEOLUT) • Track GOES and INSAT satellites • Recover beacon signals • Perform error checking • Send alert to Mission Control Center

GEOSAR Local User Terminals (GEOLUT) – 8 Locations

Mission Control Centers (MCCs) • Receive alerts from national LUTs and foreign MCCs • Validate, match and merge alerts to improve location accuracy and determine the correct destination • Geographically sort and then transmit alerts to appropriate Rescue Coordination Centers (RCCs) and SAR Points of Contact (SPOC). • Filter redundant data • Perform System support and monitoring functions

Mission Control Centers (MCC) – 25 Locations

Nodal Network CMCC CHMCC PEMCC BRMCC NMCC KOMCC USMCC UKMCC HKMCC JAMCC FMCC ITMCC TAMCC SPMCC CNMCC AUMCC CMC ALMCC SAMCC SIMCC IDMCC ZAMCC PAMCC INMCC

Communication Sites 14 LUTs Spacecraft Telemetry & Ephemeris Data 23 MCCs USMCC 7 SPOCs Special Programs 14 RCCs

The United States Mission Control Center Suitland, MD Activity ü Handle 250 -400 121. 5/243 alerts/day ü Register 40 new beacons/day ü Handle 10 -15 406 MHz alerts/day ü Update 60 beacon registrations/day ü Transmit 1200 messages/day ü Confirm 300 beacon registrations/week ü Schedule and ingest data from ü Enter 35 incident feedback reports/day 500 satellite passes/day

United States Rescue Coordination Centers & their Areas of Responsibility (AOR’s) AKRCC CGD 9 CGD 17 CGD 13 AFRCC LANTAREA CGD 7 PACAREA CGD 14 CGD 8 GANTSEC

United States Cospas-Sarsat Program Administration Inland SAR Maritime SAR Research & Development System Operation Representative to Cospas-Sarsat Program

National Administration DOC S Sa ARSA tel lite T Le ad S (NO ervic , es AA ) SAR Lead/Facilities (USAF & DPMO) DOD FCC dio y a R c or uen f ns req o i lat s & F es u g e u Re ciliti Iss Fa s ce rvi SA e RS (Na t’l rk Pa ic erv e) DOI S Research and Development SA R US NASA Le CG ad /R eg & s FA A DOT

NOAA – SARSAT Administration U. S. Department of Commerce National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) National Satellite Service (NESDIS) OSDPD Direct Services Division SARSAT Program Office

International Organization • Initially developed under interagency Memorandum of Agreement signed in 1979 • International Cospas-Sarsat Programme Agreement signed on July 1, 1988 among the governments of Canada, France, the former U. S. S. R and the United States • Association with Programme allows States to contribute towards the ground segment or participate in international Cospas-Sarsat meetings • Goals of Cospas-Sarsat are to support SAR objectives of ICAO and IMO

Member Nations

Member Nations Algeria Brazil China (P. R. of) Germany Indonesia Korea (Rep. of) New Zealand Pakistan Saudi Arabia Spain Thailand Vietnam Argentina Canada Denmark Greece Italy Madagascar Nigeria Peru Singapore Sweden Tunisia USA Australia Chile France India Japan Netherlands (The) Norway Russia South Africa Switzerland United Kingdom Participating Organizations The International Telecommunication Development Corporation (ITDC) The Marine Department of Hong Kong, China

Cospas-Sarsat Council Program Management Joint Committee Cospas-Sarsat Secretariat Administrative Organ System Operational Working Group Technical Working Group

International Maritime Organization UN specialized agency responsible for improving maritime safety (Mandates use of emergency beacons) International Civil Aviation Organization UN specialized agency responsible for aviation matters and improving civil aviation safety (Mandates use of 406 MHz beacons) International Telecommunications Union UN specialized agency responsible for coordinating global telecommunications (406 MHz beacon specifications)

406 MHz Carriage Requirements ICAO Convention Aircraft • New aircraft that fall under the ICAO convention should carry 406 MHz ELTs by 2002 • All aircraft that fall under the ICAO convention should carry 406 MHz ELTs by 2005 IMO - SOLAS Class Vessels • All vessels 300 gross tons or greater • Vessels engaged in transporting 6 or more persons ***In the U. S. all Commerical Fishing Vessels***

Phase-Out of 121. 5/243 MHz Satellite Alerting 121. 5 MHz BEACON USAGE – International Termination of 121. 5 MHz Satellite Alerting on 01 February 2009! – U. S. Termination of 121. 5 MHz EPIRBs = 3 Phases • Certification of new 121. 5 EPIRBs cease immediately • Sales and manufacture of 121. 5 MHz EPIRBs cease on 01 February, 2003 • Operation/Use of 121. 5 MHz EPIRBs becomes illegal on 31 December, 2006 – 121. 5 MHz ELTs will still be in use and required on general aviation aircraft…

New Users • Non-mandated users (recreational) • Military • Other Government Agencies (NASA, Forest Service, etc.

Tour of the U. S. M. C. C. www. sarsat. noaa. gov