Cospas-Sarsat Department of Commerce National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration National Environmental Satellite, Data and Information Service Office of Satellite Data Processing and Distribution Direct Services Division

Cospas-Sarsat CospasCOsmicheskaya Systyema Poiska Aariynyich Sudov which translates loosely into “Space System for the Search of Vessels in Distress” SarsatSearch and Rescue Satellite Aided Tracking Cospas-Sarsat provides, free-of-charge, distress alert and location information to search and rescue authorities anywhere in the world for maritime, aviation and land users in distress.

Rescues Persons rescued world-wide since 1982 >11,000 Persons rescued in United States since 1982 > 4,000

History 1950s– Concept of Doppler tracking developed to locate transmitters on earth surface using satellites 1960s – Emergency beacons operating at 121.5/243 MHz used by military 1972 – Congressmen Boggs and Begich lost in Alaska 1970 – Congress mandates carriage of ELT on general aviation aircraft 1976 – Canada, France and United States begin development of the SARSAT program 1967 – 16-year old girl starves to death after waiting two months for rescue

History Memorandum of Understanding among agencies in Canada, France, USA and former USSR Launch of Cospas-1, first save Launch of Sarsat Cospas-Sarsat declared operational International Cospas- Sarsat Program Agreement signed by governments of Canada, France, USA and former USSR Russia assumes responsibilities for the former USSR GEOSAR operational 1999 – C/S Phases out 121.5/243 MHz

Cospas-Sarsat Program The following 28 countries are also formally associated with the Cospas-Sarsat Program as Ground Segment Providers or User States (two organizations in Hong Kong and Taipei also provide ground segment equipment): AlgeriaAustraliaBrazil ChileChina (P.R.)Denmark GermanyGreeceIndia IndonesiaItalyJapan Korea (Rep. of)MadagascarNetherlands (The) New ZealandNorwayPakistan PeruSaudi ArabiaSingapore SpainSouth AfricaSweden SwitzerlandThailandTunisia United Kingdom

Organization Program Management Cospas-Sarsat Council System Operation Joint Committee Administrative Support Cospas-Sarsat Secretariat Operational Working Group Technical Working Group Exercise Working Group

International Cooperation 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)

System Operation Local User Terminal Mission Control Center Rescue Coordination Center LEO Satellites GEO Satellites Emergency Beacons

Beacons Manual or Automatic Activation 121.5/243 MHzAnalog signal Approximately 600,000 world-wide and 270,000 in the United States 406 MHzDigital signal Approximately 225,000 world-wide and 61,000 in the United States Applications: Maritime - Emergency Position-Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB) Aviation - Emergency Locator Transmitter (ELT) Personal/Land - Personal Locator Beacon (PLB)

Satellites Two types of satellites: Low-earth orbiting (LEO)/polar orbiting (LEOSAR); and geosynchronous earth orbiting (GEO or GEOSAR)

Satellites LEO: United States NOAA/TIROS (121.5, 243 and 406 MHz capability) - SARSAT Search and Rescue Repeater (SARR) - Canada Search and Rescue Processor (SARP) - France Russian Nadezda (121.5 and 406 MHz capability) - COSPAS GEO: United States NOAA/GOES (406 MHz capability) Indian INSAT-2B (406 MHz capability)

Satellites SatelliteSpacecraftStatus Cospas-4Nadezda - 1Operational Cospas-6Nadezda - 3Operational Cospas-8Nadezda - 5Operational Cospas-9Nadezda-6Operational Sarsat-4NOAA-11Operational Sarsat-6NOAA-14Operational Sarsat-7NOAA-15Operational Sarsat-8NOAA-16Operational GOES-8Operational at 75 West GOES-10Operational at 135 West GOES-11In-orbit Spare INSAT-2BOperational at 93.5 East

Local Mode Operations (SARR) MHz

Global Mode Operations (SARP) 406 MHz

Local User Terminals LEOLUTs: Track Cospas and Sarsat satellites Recover beacon signals from satellites Perform bit error checking/correction on 406 MHz beacon messages Perform Doppler processing to determine geographic location Send resulting Doppler solutions to associated Mission Control Center

Local User Terminals GEOLUTs: Track GOES and INSAT satellites Recover beacon signals from satellites Perform bit error checking/correction on 406 MHz beacon messages Send resulting 406 MHz solutions to associated Mission Control Center

Local User Terminals 42 LEOLUT Sites

Local User Terminals 7 GEOLUTs

Local User Terminals Maryland Puerto Rico Texas California Alaska Hawaii Guam United States LEOLUTs

Local User Terminals United States LEOLUTs (Typical Configuration)

Local User Terminals United States Mobile LUT

Mission Control Center MCCs: Receive data from national LUTs and foreign MCCs Attempt to match signals coming from the same beacon source Merge beacon signals from the same source to improve location accuracy Geographically sort data to determine appropriate recipient of alert message Transmit alert messages to search and rescue authorities Filter redundant alert data Perform System support and monitoring functions

24 MCCs Mission Control Center

United States Mission Control Center USMCC 24 MCCs 14 LUTs 14 RCCs 7 SPOCs Special Programs Spacecraft Telemetry & Ephemeris Data Communication Sites

United States Mission Control Center

United States Mission Control Center USMCC Activity (approximately): Handle /243 alerts/day Handle MHz alerts/day Schedule and ingest data from 500 satellite passes/day Transmit 1200 messages/day Register 30 new beacons/day Update 60 beacon registrations/day Confirm 300 beacon registrations/week Enter 35 incident feedback reports/day

Rescue Coordination Centers More CGD14 CGD17 AKRCC AFRCC PACAREA LANTAREA CGD8 CGD7 CGD1 CGD13 GANTSEC CGD9 Additional RCCs: MARSEC, PRCC, JRCC Southcom

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

United States Search and Rescue Program DOC DOD FCC DOI NASA DOT Satellite Services, Environmental Information SAR Facilities Regulations for Radio Facilities SAR Services Research and Development SAR Facilities

System Performance Timing: Alert notification in 5 to 120 minutes depending on type of beacon, location and satellite configuration Accuracy: 100 meters to 20 kilometers depending on type of beacon Reliability: Depends on type of beacon

Problems 121.5/243 MHz Satellite Alerting System Inefficient Numerous false alerts No identification information available Unreliable alerts (often originate from non-beacon sources) False Alerts Diminishes integrity of System Wastes SAR resources Possibly diverts SAR resources from actual distress Interference in Frequency Band Masks real distress signals

More Information For more information visit the following web sites:

SARSAT Payload Description

SARSAT Payload MHz Search and Rescue Processor (SARP-2) PowerCommandTelemetry Search and Rescue Repeater (SARR) MHz Transmitter MHz Rx 243 MHz Rx 406 MHz Rx 2.4 Kbps Data SLA MHz Antenna DCS/UDA 406/401 MHz Antenna Diplexer Filter Diplexer Filter DCS/2 SRA 121/243 MHz Antenna SRA 406 MHz Antenna SARSAT Antennas PowerCommandTelemetry S/C Interface

SARSAT SARP-2 Description

SARP-x Description Receives and processes the 406 MHz distress beacons transmissions : –Measures the received frequency (accuracy 0.2 Hz) –Time tags the frequency measurement (accuracy  1 ms) –Demodulates the message content (down to 34 dB.Hz) Format and store the above information. Send to the SARR MHz transmitter the Processed Data Stream (PDS) consisting of real time and play back data.

SARP-x Description Input bandwidth : MHz / MHz (80 kHz) Two types of beacon periodic messages (50 s) : –short message :0.44 s400 bps –long message :0.52 s400 bps Capacity : the present SARP-3 can receive and process 95% of the messages transmitted by 50 distress beacons simultaneously active in the satellite visibility circle.

SARP-x Description The present SARP-2 and SARP-3 memory size is 2048 messages. SARP-3 memory may be increased by ground command up to 2560 messages. Beacon messages are transmitted to SARR as soon as received and processed (real time). Most recent messages is stored in place of the oldest one in the memory. Memory is read in LIFO continuously when there is no real time messages to be transmitted (play-back).

SARP-x Description Fully redundant One unit* : Receiver-Processor Unit : RPU Receive antenna at 401 MHz and filters, also used on Tiros for the Argos-DCS, may be used on NPOES for the SARP and the Search and Rescue Repeater (SARR). Mission data are sent to the SARR * an extra unit may be needed to adapt the A-DCS and SARP-3 Tiros interfaces to the NPOESS (TBC).

SARP-x Mechanical Interfaces Length (u) Recever Processing Unit (RPU) DCS Interface Unit (**) (DIU) TBC SARP-xxWidth (v)Height (w)Mass (*) 365 mm280 mm195 mm18 kg 288 mm210 mm63 mm4 kg (*) : without harness (**) : may be shared with A-DCS (TBC)

SARP-x Electrical Interfaces Power consumption  35 watts Pulse discrete commands12 PDC Level discrete commands7 LDC + strobe Digital HK telemetry15 TM points Analog TM channels20 TM channels SARP-3 mission and instrument design are dated One cannot exclude some evolution between now and the N-POES SARP-xx actual development. Technology evolution should be transparent for the satellite.

SARP-x Electrical Interfaces SARP Interface Unit (TBD) Receiver Processor Unit (RPU) side A side B SARR Transmitter Unit side A side B Mission data power Cd and HK TM SARP-xx instrument N-POESS satellite RF accommodation hardware DCSSARR ? Receive antenna 401MHz/406 MHz SARP MHz Transmit antenna

SARP-x Electrical Interfaces SARP Interface Unit (TBD) Receiver Processor Unit (RPU) side A side B SARR Transmitter Unit side A side B Mission data power Cd and HK TM SARP-xx instrument N-POESS satellite RF accommodation hardware DCSSARR ? Receive antenna 401MHz/406 MHz SARP MHz Transmit antenna

SARR Fully redundant Total size1.6 cubic feet Total weight45 pounds Total power consumpiton47 watts

SARR Description

SARR Receiver Description

SARR - Transmitter

6 dB Relative Level of Integrated Power in Each Band (dB) kbps PDS Baseband MHz Baseband 243 MHz Baseband 406 MHz Baseband Baseband Frequency in kHz Note: Drawing not to scale and bandwidths given are 1 dB bandwidths Sarsat SARR Baseband Frequency Spectrum

SARSAT Telemetry & Commanding

SARP-2 (Analog Telemetry) Temperature: Receiver Processer Unit USO USO Thermal Regulation SPU Box Converter Power: SARP Converter +5v, -5v SARP Converter +12v, -12v SARP Converter +28v Main Bus voltage

SARR (Analog Telemetry) Transmitters: Current (A/B side) Output Power (A/B side) Temperature (A/B side) Baseplate Temperature Receivers: AGC (121.5/243/406) (A/B side) Temperature (121.5/406) (A/B side) Power Telemetry and Command: Temperature (A/B side) 28 Volt monitor 16 Volt monitor (A/B side)

SARP (Digital Telemetry) SARP Relay A Status SARP Relay B Status DRU 1/2/3 Status SARP Time Clock Pseudo-Message Memory ON/OFF Read Continuously Read Single Shot Read/erase Single Shot Receiver Bandwidth 1 ( – ) Receiver Bandwidth 2 ( – ) Receiver Bandwidth 3 ( – )* * Probably wont be available in SARP-x

SARR (Digital Telemetry) SARR Redundancy Switch SARR 243 MHz Redundancy Switch SARR 406 MHz Redundancy Switch SARR Tx Ouput RF Redundancy Switch

Telemetry Processing NOAA CDA NOAA SOCC/IPD USMCC CMCC FMCC DND CNES Digital Telemetry Count Telemetry Volts Engineering Units SOCC Take Appropriate Action

Commands SARR: Enable/disable Select Side (A/B) Change modulation index (Rx Attenuations) Receiver Gain Mode (Fixed or AGC) SARP: Enable/disable (SARP, DRUs, Pseudo-mode) Memory Commands Bandwidth Selection

Monitoring/Commanding SOCC USMCC CMCCFMCCSPE Commands USMCC Verification C/S Ground Segment, USMCC, SOCC Consultation Notification to Cospas-Sarsat

Coordination International Cospas-Sarsat Programme Agreeement SARSAT Memorandum of Agreement National Search and Rescue Committee Interagency Memorandum of Agreement National Search and Rescue Plan SARSAT Project Plan Supports Telemetry and Command Procedures Supports Cospas-Sarsat Program Plan Supports Letters of Agreement