Cospas-Sarsat Program

Overview
The Cospas-Sarsat Program is an international organization that provides space-based relay of distress signals, or alerts, from emergency beacons that use the 406 megahertz (MHz) frequency. Cospas-Sarsat provides the alerts to search and rescue (SAR) authorities internationally.

The governments of Canada, France, Russia and the United States (the Parties) have signed an agreement to provide for the long-term operation of the system and to support the objectives of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) concerning search and rescue. In addition to the four Parties and the two Participating Organizations (IMO and ICAO), Cospas-Sarsat international participation includes 26 ground segment providers and 11 user states.

Source
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 * NOAA, "Frequently Asked Questions" ([http://www.sarsat.noaa.gov/faq%202.html full-text