KSC-05-S-00099

Video source record: https://images.nasa.gov/details/ksc_042705_sarsat

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Summary

Saving lives is one of the unique and important missions of NASA and NOAA's polar-orbiting satellites. The Search and Rescue Satellite-Aided Tracking system, called SARSAT, is part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association's satellite payload. Tracking instruments on the NOAA satellites and other international satellites are used to pick up emergency beacons set off by people in distress. When aviators, mariners, or hikers in trouble set off a beacon, a signal is transmitted to a satellite orbiting overhead. That signal is immediately relayed to a global network of emergency coordination centers on Earth. In turn, the appropriate rescue force is sent to the exact location of distress. Although other means of communication are available, there have been times when these devices haven't worked, according to David Affens, NASA search and rescue mission manager. Affens describes a situation where a ship being tossed about in stormy weather, within miles of the coast w

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Details

• Source collection: NASA
• License: Public Domain (US Government)
• Category: Space

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Academic references

1. Primary source record: https://images.nasa.gov/details/ksc_042705_sarsat
2. Topic lookup: Google Scholar search for “KSC-05-S-00099”