New Satellite Search, Rescue System Tested
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WASHINGTON — A weeklong exercise got under way Monday for the upgraded Search and Rescue Satellite System, an expanding operation that has saved 650 lives since its inauguration in 1982.
Thirteen countries are taking part in the SARSAT exercise, extending coverage to the Southern Hemisphere, said James T. Bailey of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
The test will allow scientists to measure the effectiveness of new radio equipment coming into use in the SARSAT system, which picks up distress signals from ships and aircraft and guides rescuers to the scene of any accident.
Inaugurated three years ago by the United States, the Soviet Union, Canada and France, SARSAT uses satellites to listen for distress signals from equipment aboard commercial ships and aircraft.
When the signals are received, they are relayed to a ground station along with an estimate of the location of the accident.
The exercise will test equipment broadcasting at 406 megahertz, which will allow location of an accident within about two miles. The new radios can also be coded to broadcast the serial number of a ship or airplane, Bailey said, to help rescuers know just who they are seeking.
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