In 2022, search and rescue technologies developed by NASA enabled first responders to save 397 lives in the US region. Since 1979, NASA has provided technical expertise to the Cospas-Sarsat program, an international satellite search and rescue. This technical expertise has led to the development of several types of emergency locator beacons.
International search and rescue efforts allow hikers, boaters, pilots and other explorers to activate locator beacons if they become distressed or lost. Adventurers can take advantage of Cospas-Sarsat’s 406 MHz frequency beacons, which equip users with accurate and reliable emergency location services.
When activated, these beacons send signals to satellites in space, which then transmit distress signals to ground stations. This process allows the Cospas-Sarsat network to calculate their position anywhere in the world. The network then sends the location to first responders to begin rescue operations.
These beacons allow explorers to gain a sense of security as they venture out on land, in the air, and at sea. Three types of beacons are available to users: Personal Locator Beacons (PLBs), used by hikers and other earth explorers; Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacons (EPIRBs) for boaters and mariners; and Emergency Locator Transmitters (ELTs) for aircraft pilots.
The Search and Rescue (SAR) office is part of the Space Communications and Navigation (SCaN) portfolio and will be critical to NASA’s efforts on the Moon and Mars. On December 11, 2022, search and rescue team members on the USS Portland used the newly developed Search and Rescue Intelligent Terminal (SAINT) to track the Artemis I Orion capsule as it re-entered the atmosphere and then splashed into the Pacific Ocean. A 25-day trip to the moon and back.
This technology will be essential for future manned missions to the Moon. Astronauts on Artemis II and others will be equipped with Advanced Next-Generation Emergency Locator (ANGEL) beacons, which will allow NASA to locate astronauts in the event they need to exit the Orion capsule after splashdown or during an aborted launch scenario.
Development of terrestrial beacons is not the only service provided by NASA’s Search and Rescue Office. In addition to supporting the Artemis program, the Office of Search and Rescue is working to establish Lunar Search and Rescue, or LunaSAR, which will provide emergency localization services for crewed and robotic missions to the lunar surface. The service is in coordination with NASA’s LunaNet architecture, which will extend Internet-like capabilities to the Moon. LunaSAR and LunaNet will work in tandem to maintain a human presence on the Moon.
The SAR office has a unique portfolio that supports NASA’s exploration missions while saving the lives of Earth explorers. The 397 individuals rescued by the Cospas-Sarsat network are a testament to the lifesaving power of NASA’s innovation and expertise.
