International Cospas-Sarsat Programme facts for kids
| Established | 1 July 1988 (Date definitive agreement was signed; preceding memorandums of understanding signed 23 November 1979 and 5 October 1984) |
|---|---|
| Type | Intergovernmental organization |
| Legal status | Active |
| Headquarters | Montreal, Quebec, Canada |
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Membership
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45 Formally associated "Participant" states
and agencies  Algeria** Argentina** Australia** Brazil** Canada* Chile** China*** Cyprus** Denmark Finland France* Germany Greece** India*** Indonesia** Italy** Japan** Korea** Malaysia** Netherlands New Zealand** Nigeria Norway** Pakistan** Peru** Poland Qatar** Russia* Saudi Arabia** Serbia Singapore** South Africa** Spain** Sweden Switzerland Thailand** Togo** Tunisia Turkey** United Arab Emirates** United Kingdom** United States* Viet Nam**Hong Kong, China, Marine Department** International Telecommunication Development Company (Taiwan)** *Party State, and Space- and Ground-Segment Provider **Ground-Segment Provider ***Space- and Ground-Segment Provider Additionally, although not State Participants, the European Union, through its Galileo Programme, is a Space- and Ground-Segment Provider, and EUMETSAT is a Space-Segment Provider |
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Official languages
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English French Russian |
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Head
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Steven Lett (Head of Secretariat) |
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Council Chair (rotating)
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Henrik Smith (Canada) |
| Website |
The International Cospas-Sarsat Programme is a special system that uses satellites to help with search and rescue (SAR) missions. It is a nonprofit group made up of 45 countries and agencies. Their main job is to find and locate emergency radio beacons. These beacons are activated by people, planes, or ships in trouble. Cospas-Sarsat then sends this important alert information to rescue teams.
Member countries help by sharing distress alerts. They use about 65 satellites orbiting Earth. These satellites have special tools called transponders and signal processors. They can find an emergency beacon anywhere on Earth if it sends a signal on the 406 MHz frequency.
Distress alerts are found, located, and sent to over 200 countries and territories. This service is free for beacon owners and rescue agencies. Cospas-Sarsat was started by Canada, France, the United States, and the former Soviet Union in 1979. The first rescue using this technology happened on September 10, 1982. The official agreement for the organization was signed by these four countries on July 1, 1988.
The name Cospas-Sarsat comes from two parts. COSPAS (КОСПАС) is a Russian acronym. It means "Space System for the Search of Vessels in Distress." SARSAT is an acronym for "Search And Rescue Satellite-Aided Tracking."
Contents
How Cospas-Sarsat Helps
Cospas-Sarsat is famous for finding emergency beacons. These beacons are used by planes, ships, and people in remote areas. The system then sends these distress alerts to search-and-rescue (SAR) teams. You can buy distress beacons that work with Cospas-Sarsat (406-MHz beacons). Cospas-Sarsat does not make or sell these beacons.
From September 1982 to December 2022, the Cospas-Sarsat System helped rescue at least 60,636 people. These rescues happened in 18,807 SAR events. In 2022, Cospas-Sarsat helped rescue almost ten people every day. Here are some recent rescue numbers:
| Year | People Rescued | SAR Events | Aviation | Land | Maritime |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 3,223 | 1,144 | 20% | 39% | 41% |
| 2021 | 3,623 | 1,149 | 18% | 45% | 37% |
| 2020 | 2,278 | 951 | 23% | 37% | 40% |
These numbers might be lower than the actual rescues. This is because they only include cases where rescue teams sent a report back to Cospas-Sarsat.
Cospas-Sarsat does not do the actual search-and-rescue work. That is the job of national governments. These governments are responsible for SAR in different parts of the world. Cospas-Sarsat only provides the alert data to these authorities.
Cospas-Sarsat works with United Nations groups. These include the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and the International Maritime Organization (IMO). They also work with the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). This ensures their distress alerting services meet global needs and standards. Cospas-Sarsat is part of the IMO's Global Maritime Distress Safety System (GMDSS). It is also part of ICAO's Global Aeronautical Distress and Safety System (GADSS).
The IMO requires automatic Cospas-Sarsat beacons (EPIRBs) on many ships. This includes large commercial vessels and passenger ships in international waters. ICAO also requires Cospas-Sarsat beacons on planes flying internationally.
Cospas-Sarsat only monitors alerts from digital distress beacons that send signals on 406 MHz. Older beacons that used 121.5 MHz or 243 MHz are no longer monitored by satellites. For satellite detection by Cospas-Sarsat, the beacon must use 406 MHz.
Cospas-Sarsat has received many awards for its humanitarian work. It was even added to the Space Foundation's Space Technology Hall of Fame. This was for space technologies that improve life for everyone.
How the System Works
The Cospas-Sarsat system has two main parts: a ground part and a space part. These include:
- Distress radio-beacons: These are activated in a life-threatening emergency.
- SAR signal repeaters (SARR) and SAR signal processors (SARP): These are on board satellites.
- Satellite downlink receiving stations: These are called LUTs (local user terminals). They get and process signals.
- Mission control centres (MCCs): These send distress alert data to rescue coordination centres.
- Rescue coordination centres (RCCs): These help organize rescue teams and their response.
Emergency Beacons
A Cospas-Sarsat distress beacon is a 406-MHz radio transmitter. It sends a digital signal. It is activated in an emergency to call for help from government authorities. Many companies make and sell these beacons. They come in three main types:
- An ELT (emergency locator transmitter) is for aircraft.
- An EPIRB (emergency position-indicating radio beacon) is for marine vessels.
- A PLB (personal locator beacon) is carried by individuals.
Sometimes PLBs are carried on planes or boats. But whether this meets safety rules depends on local laws. A Cospas-Sarsat beacon only sends a signal when activated in an emergency. Some beacons are turned on by a person pushing a button. Others turn on automatically. For example, ELTs might activate from a crash. EPIRBs might activate when they touch water. There are no fees from Cospas-Sarsat for owning or using a beacon. Some countries might charge for licenses or registration.
Satellites in Space
The Cospas-Sarsat system uses special tools on satellites. These are called SARR and/or SARP instruments. They are on:
- Five satellites in low-altitude Earth orbit (LEOSAR).
- Twelve satellites in geostationary Earth orbit (GEOSAR).
- 48 satellites in medium-altitude Earth orbit (MEOSAR).
A SARR or SARP tool is an extra part on these satellites. It works with the satellite's main job. A SARR tool sends a beacon's distress signal to a ground station right away. A SARP tool records the distress signal data. This data can be collected later by a ground station when the satellite passes over it.
Ground Stations
Ground stations (LUTs) watch the satellites. They have satellite dishes or special antennas to track them. Countries or agencies set up these LUTs. The distress messages received by a LUT go to a mission control centre. This centre uses computer algorithms to send the messages to rescue coordination centres around the world.
How Distress Signals are Found
When a distress beacon is turned on, the Cospas-Sarsat system does two things:
- It decodes the beacon's binary coded message. This message has information like the plane's or ship's identity. Some beacons also include their location from a GPS receiver.
- It uses math to figure out the beacon's location. This happens even if the beacon's message does not include its location.
The Cospas-Sarsat system is the only one that can find a distress beacon in two ways. This makes it very reliable.
The SARR or SARP tool is usually on a satellite that has another main purpose. LEOSAR and GEOSAR satellites mainly gather weather data. MEOSAR satellites are mainly for navigation.
LEOSAR System
LEOSAR was the first Cospas-Sarsat space segment system. These satellites orbit the Earth and cover the whole planet over time. Because they are low, they only see a small part of Earth at once. So, there can be a delay in getting an alert signal. To fix this, LEOSAR satellites have "store-and-forward" SARP modules. They also have "real-time" SARR modules. A satellite can pick up a distress message over a remote area. It then sends that data later when it passes over a ground station. The five LEOSAR satellites orbit Earth in about 100 minutes. They orbit over the poles, so alerts are fastest near the poles.
The LEOSAR system uses the Doppler effect to find beacons. Ground stations (LUTs) use math based on how the signal frequency changes. This change happens as the satellite moves over a beacon. From these calculations, they can find the beacon's exact position.
GEOSAR System
GEOSAR satellites are in a geostationary orbit. This means they stay over the same spot on Earth. Because there is no relative motion, they cannot use the Doppler effect to find a beacon's location. So, GEOSAR satellites can only relay the beacon's distress message. If the beacon has a GPS, it sends its location. This location is then sent to rescue teams. A downside of GEOSAR is that it cannot find a beacon on its own. But, these satellites cover almost the entire Earth in real time, except for the polar regions.
MEOSAR System
MEOSAR is the newest part of the Cospas-Sarsat system. It combines the good parts of LEOSAR and GEOSAR. It avoids their downsides. MEOSAR is becoming the most important part of Cospas-Sarsat. It has many satellites and covers large areas. It also uses Doppler measurements to find a beacon's location. MEOSAR uses SARR tools on navigation satellites. These include the European Union's Galileo, Russia's Glonass, and the United States' Global Positioning System (GPS). In November 2022, China also joined with its BeiDou (BDS) satellites.
MEOSAR started sending alert data on December 13, 2016. It was fully ready on April 25, 2023. The MEOSAR system helps find 406-MHz beacons almost instantly. Before MEOSAR was fully ready, its data helped find the crash site of EgyptAir flight 804. The location of a distress beacon is found by the ground station (LUT). It looks at how the signal frequency changes and how long it takes for the signal to arrive from different MEOSAR satellites.
The Galileo part of MEOSAR can even send information back to the distress radio-beacon. This is called "Return Link Service." It can make a light or sound on the beacon to show that the distress message was received.
Ground Stations for All Systems
As of December 2022, there are many ground stations. There are 55 LEOLUTs for LEOSAR satellites. There are 27 GEOLUTs for GEOSAR satellites. And there are 26 MEOLUT stations for MEOSAR satellites. The data from these stations goes to 32 MCCs (mission control centres) around the world. Many of these MCCs can process data from all three types of satellites.
Beacon Innovations
New Beacon Features
Most 406-MHz Cospas-Sarsat beacons also send signals on other frequencies. Many have a 121.5-MHz transmitter. This signal helps local rescue teams find the beacon using special equipment. Also, the newest EPIRBs have an automatic identification system (AIS) transmitter. This uses the marine VHF band. It helps nearby ships track the beacon easily. Some new PLB models can be attached to life vests. They send an AIS signal to act as a "man overboard" system. This sets off alarms on nearby ships and helps them track the person.
These beacons combine signals for global alerts (406-MHz to satellites) and fast local help (121.5-MHz and AIS). This is especially useful for ships.
After some recent plane crashes, ICAO asked for planes in trouble to be tracked automatically. Cospas-Sarsat created rules for ELTs (emergency locator transmitters) to do this. These are called ELT(DT)s. Regular ELTs turn on when there is an impact or by the pilot. ELT(DT)s turn on by themselves if a plane gets into a dangerous situation. This allows a plane in distress to be tracked during the flight, before a crash. Cospas-Sarsat started using ELT(DT)s with the older signal type on January 1, 2023. They started using a newer, more advanced signal type on January 1, 2024.
Beacon Signal Technology
For over 30 years, Cospas-Sarsat 406-MHz digital beacons used one main signal type. It was called binary phase-shift keying (BPSK). These signals were short, about half a second long. They used a small amount of bandwidth.
Cospas-Sarsat recently added a new signal type. It uses spread-spectrum technology. These are called "second generation" beacons. They use less battery power. They also help the Cospas-Sarsat System find the beacon's location more accurately. These new beacons send signals for one second. They can also send more information over time. This new technology for ELT(DT)s started in January 2024. It is expected to be used for other types of beacons later in 2024.
History of Cospas-Sarsat
How it Started
In the early 1970s, scientists in Canada wondered if an ELT could be found from space. They realized that the Doppler effect of an ELT signal could help. This effect changes the signal's frequency as the satellite moves. They tested this idea with an amateur radio satellite. NASA heard about their success, and the United States joined the project.
First Agreements
On November 23, 1979, an agreement was signed in Russia. It was between the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the USSR Ministry of Merchant Marine, France's Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales, and Canada's Department of Communications. This agreement said they would work together. They wanted to show that equipment on low-orbiting satellites could find distress signals. This would help planes and ships in trouble by sending information to ground stations and then to rescue services.
Developing the System
The first satellite for the system, "COSPAS-1" (Kosmos 1383), was launched on June 29, 1982. Cospas-Sarsat began tracking distress beacons in September 1982. On September 9, while testing the satellite, COSPAS-1 found an ELT signal in British Columbia, Canada. It sent the information to a test ground station. Canadian teams calculated the small plane's position. It was 90 km off course. Within hours, the crash survivors were rescued. This was the first rescue helped by Cospas-Sarsat. Authorities believed the pilot would have died without this quick help.
Before Cospas-Sarsat, planes used 121.5 MHz for distress signals. Military planes used 243.0 MHz. Finding these signals depended on nearby planes hearing them. Then, ground teams used special equipment to find the location. Satellites made it possible to find these signals globally.
Each of the four founding countries took on a major task. The United States designed and built the ground stations (LUTs). France and Canada were in charge of processing the data. They designed the computer that found the beacon's position using the Doppler shift. The former Soviet Union designed and built the first satellite. Engineers from all four countries met in Russia in February 1982. They successfully tested all the equipment together.
The founding countries also led the development of the 406-MHz marine EPIRB. This beacon used a digital message. It was a big step forward for safety at sea. The digital message allowed each beacon and its ship to be uniquely identified. In its early days, Cospas-Sarsat could detect signals at 406 MHz, 121.5 MHz, and 243.0 MHz. But there were many false alarms from the old, analog beacons. These beacons only sent a tone, not a message. So, starting in 2009, Cospas-Sarsat stopped receiving alerts from 121.5 MHz and 243.0 MHz beacons. Now, it only uses modern, digital 406-MHz beacons.
In the early 2000s, a new type of beacon became available. This was the personal locator beacon (PLB). Individuals can use PLBs when they cannot call emergency services like 9-1-1. PLBs are often used by people doing outdoor activities in remote areas. Pilots and boaters also use them as an extra safety device.
Distress beacons have changed a lot since 1982. The newest 406-MHz beacons often have global navigation satellite system (GNSS) receivers, like GPS. These beacons find their own location using the GNSS receiver. They then send this very accurate position in their distress message. This gives Cospas-Sarsat a second way to know the distress location. The first way is by the calculations done by the Cospas-Sarsat ground stations. The distress alert and location are sent almost instantly to rescue agencies. This reliable system has a motto: "Taking the 'Search' out of Search and Rescue."
