User's Manual

06/03/2020 912S-03403-01.01 19
EPIRB1 Pro USER MANUAL
8. COSPAS/SARSAT SYSTEM
The COSPAS/SARSAT system utilises two satellite arrays to provide distress alert and
location data to search and rescue authorities:
• The GEOSAR system can provide near
immediate
alerting within the coverage of the
receiving satellite.
• The LEOSAR system provides coverage of the
polar
region beyond the range of the GEOSAR system.
It can calculate the location of distress events using Doppler processing techniques and
is less susceptible to obstructions which could block a signal in a given direction. The
system is comprised of instruments on board the satellites which detect the signals from
the distress beacons. Ground receiving stations, referred to as Local Users Terminals
(LUTs) receive and process the satellite downlink signal to generate the distress alerts.
The distress alerts, generated by the LUTs, are then received by Mission Control Centres
(MCCs) which then forward the alert to Rescue Co-ordination Centres (RCCs), Search and
Rescue Points of Contacts (SPOCs) and other MCCs.