Sep 13 1979
From The Space Library
NASA said it would join the Canadian Department of Communications and France's CNES in a 15-month demonstration in 1982 of a search-and-rescue system to speed detection and location of distress signals by use of satellites. The three countries would set up ground stations and conduct simulated search-and-rescue. A satellite in polar orbit could cover the globe every 12 hours, listening on the emergency frequencies used by ships and aircraft. Minutes after receiving an alert, ground computers could pinpoint its origin within 20 kilometers (13 miles) and flash it to coordination centers.
Canada would provide transponders, and France receiver-processors, to fly on NOAA satellites in polar orbit; the United States would modify, fit with antennas, integrate, and launch the satellites and develop emergency beacons for ships and aircraft to use with the systems. The parties to the agreement were also negotiating for cooperation with the Soviet Union. (NASA Release 79-118)
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