The Four Agencies Involved in the U.S. SARSAT Program
- U.S. Coast Guard: Management of SARSAT Program; Maritime Search and Rescue and representative to COSPAS-SARSAT
- NOAA: System Operation
- NASA: Research and Development
- U.S. Air Force: Inland Search and Rescue
A Beacon of Hope to Those in Distress
NOAA satellites play a critical role in detecting and relaying distress signals from emergency beacons to search and rescue authorities through the Search and Rescue Satellite Aided Tracking (SARSAT) program, which is managed by the U.S Coast Guard. These signals help responders quickly determine who may be in trouble and where they are located.
The SARSAT program is the U.S. contribution to the international COSPAS–SARSAT, a satellite-based search and rescue system supported by 45 nations and organizations around the world. The system enables authorities to detect and locate emergency beacons almost anywhere in the world at any time, and in almost any condition.
COSPAS stands for "COsmicheskaya Sisteyama Poiska Avariynich Sudov," which is Russian for “Space System for the Search of Vessels in Distress.”
A sailor being rescued at sea.
How the COSPAS–SARSAT Program Works
This program consists of the following:
- Emergency beacons that transmit distress signals.
- Satellites that detect distress signals.
- Ground receiving stations that receive and process the satellite signals to generate distress alerts.
- Mission control centers that receive the alerts and forward them to rescue coordination centers.
In the United States, mission control functions are coordinated through the U.S. Mission Control Center (USMCC) in Suitland, Maryland. Alerts are then forwarded to rescue coordination centers operated by the U.S. Coast Guard and the U.S. Air Force.
The U.S. SARSAT system uses NOAA satellites in geostationary orbits as well as GPS satellites in medium earth orbit to detect and locate aviators, mariners, and land-based users in distress. Once a beacon signal is detected, the satellites relay the information through a network of ground stations to USMCC so action can be taken.
Types of search and rescue beacons.
SARSAT Tracking Application
Each icon on this map represents one rescue event within the U.S. Area of Responsibility (AOR) in the last 14 months, though multiple saves may be involved with each event.
The SARSAT system is able to detect three types of beacons:
- Personal Locator Beacons (PLBs) for individuals
- Emergency Locator Transmitters (ELTs) for aircraft
- Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacons (EPIRBs) for maritime vessels
Responsibility for responding to a distress signal depends on the location of the emergency. For any beacon activation that occurs in the U.S. AOR, the U.S. is responsible for coordinating rescue efforts. Inland incidents are generally handled by the U.S. Air Force, typically coordinated with a local agency, while maritime emergencies are handled by the U.S. Coast Guard.
If a beacon registered to another country is activated within the U.S. AOR, American rescuers are still responsible, but will notify the beacon’s country of registration. Through the international COSPAS-SARSAT program, every region of the world is covered by search and rescue services.
SARSAT Rescues in 2026 as of July 10, 2026
- Rescues at sea: 73 people rescued in 26 incidents
- Aviation rescues: 19 people in 7 incidents
- Terrestrial PLB rescues: 36 people rescued in 17 incidents
- United States: 11,299 people rescued (since 1982)
- Worldwide: Over 64,000+ people rescued (since 1982)
128: Total Number of People Rescued in 2026 in the United States.
300: Total Number of People Rescued in 2025 in the United States.
411: Total Number of People Rescued in 2024 in the United States.