Contact Information
Address:
4231 Suitland Rd
NSOF E/SPO53
Suitland, MD 20746
United StatesMailing Address:
E/SPO53, 1315 East-West Highway
Silver Spring, MD 20910
United StatesPhone:
301-817-4515
NOAA Search and Rescue Satellite Aided Tracking (SARSAT)
As an integral part of worldwide search and rescue, NOAA operates the Search And Rescue Satellite Aided Tracking (SARSAT) System to detect and locate mariners, aviators, and recreational enthusiasts in distress almost anywhere in the world at anytime and in almost any condition.
The SARSAT system uses NOAA satellites in low-earth and geostationary orbits to detect and locate aviators, mariners, and land-based users in distress. The satellites relay distress signals from emergency beacons to a network of ground stations and ultimately to the U.S. Mission Control Center (USMCC) in Suitland, Maryland. The USMCC processes the distress signal and alerts the appropriate search and rescue authorities to who is in distress and, more importantly, where they are located. Truly, SARSAT takes the "search" out of search and rescue!
NOAA-SARSAT is a part of the international Cospas-Sarsat Program to which 41 nations and two independent SAR organizations belong to.