The System is available to maritime and aviation users and to persons in distress situations. Access is provided to all States on a non-discriminatory basis, and is free of charge for the end-user in distress. On average, about 5 persons are rescued every day with the assistance of Cospas-Sarsat alert and location data.
The System is composed of:
– distress beacons operating at 406 MHz;
– SAR payloads on satellites in low-altitude Earth orbit and in geostationary orbit;
– ground receiving stations (LUTs) spread around the world; and
– a network of Mission Control Centres (MCCs) to distribute distress alert and location information to SAR authorities, worldwide.