New distress beacon detection system active

[GPSGuided]

The folks looking after our last line of safety (PLB) is making the system better still with the activation of MEOSAR.

What I don't quite understand is how this satellite network fits in with the international Cospas-Sarsat network, which I thought was the detecting satellite infrastructure for our PLBs.

http://www.maritime-executive.com/artic ... ion-system

[keithy]

That's great. I didn't know the Mingenew satellite tracking ground station was fully operational yet.

The New Zealand one near Reporoa was completed near the end of last year and is fully operational. Between the two ground tracking stations (MELOUTs), it should cover a big chunk of the southern hemisphere.

The older LEOSAR (low earth orbit search & rescue) has been in operation for over 30 years, and system relied on 5 LEOSAR satellites.

The MEOSAR system uses satellites from the three GNSS satellite constellations (GPS/GLONASS/Galieleo) - meaning it has more satellites to rely on receiving the 406 MHz beacon. At present the system is using at least 16 MEOSAR satellites. There are other improvements as well, each MEOSAR satellite has a wider area of coverage meaning each satellites can see more active beacons than a LEOSAR satellite.

The result of this is that when activated, 406 MHz rescue beacons are more likely to be in range of an overhead satellite - resulting a quicker beacon detection. Once the MELOUT receives three or more satellite signals with the rescue beacon burst, the beacon's location can be calculated.

With MEOSAR system the rescue beacon will be detected almost in real time - within 5 minutes, and the MELOUT can determine location of the beacon within 10 minutes.

More MEOSAR capable satellites have been/are planned on being launched - their primary mission is still position/navigation/timing, but have a secondary capability with SAR repeater equipment installed.

The great thing for current 406 MHz beacon users is that there is no upgrade required.

[GPSGuided]

So, are they still part of the Cospas-Sarsat network? Reading the Wiki, Cospas-Sarsat seemed to have more space assets than these new MEOSARs along with ground assets. Guess it doesn't really matter to the end users as long as we get rescued promptly.

[keithy]

So, are they still part of the Cospas-Sarsat network

Sort of. COSPAS is the Russian acronym for their Search and Rescue satellite system, and SARSAT is the US acronym for their Search And Rescue Satellite system.

The LEOSAR assets were deployed primarily in meteorological/weather satellites and I don't think the Russian COSPAS satellites are active anymore. So the LEOSAR I think currently only has the five US satellites. It is more of an upgrade of the system given the age and limitations of the LEOSAR infrastructure, and since it was likely that no new LEOSAR capable satellites would be launched.

[GPSGuided]

Thanks. I was also surprised that the new MEOSARs are Australian owned than through an international consortium, or did I read it wrong?

[keithy]

The MEOSAR ground station built in WA is Australian owned.

I thought I saw an aerial pic of it, but I can't find it on google.

This is what the six antenna MEOSAR tracking station near Mingenew last year looks like:

They did say it would become operational at the start of 2017, when Corpas-Sarsat will bring the system officially online.

source: http://www.amsa.gov.au/forms-and-public ... /index.asp

[GPSGuided]

Cute 6 white balls! And our lives depend on them. LOL

[keithy]

The aerial pic I saw was the ground station in NZ between Taupo and Rotorua.

From MaritimeNZ.

Inside each "ball" is a satellite dish:

maritme-satellite-opening.jpg (38.96 KiB) Viewed 14904 times

[north-north-west]

Mingenew?
*snorfle* How do they come up with these names?

[GPSGuided]

Far less complicated than coming up with pharmaceutic names.


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