SARSAT Acronyms
Glossary of terms
AFRCC –Ā U.S. Air Force Rescue Coordination Center located at Tyndall AFB in Panama City, FL.
AMVER –Ā Automated Mutual Assistance Vessel Rescue System…aĀ U.S.Ā Coast Guard program that constantly tracks thousands of merchant vessels worldwide. These vessels have volunteered to respond to calls for rescue or assistance from other vessels or people in distress.
CAP –Ā Civil Air Patrol…a network of volunteers that conduct SAR operations. (usually under the direction of the AFRCC)
COSPAS –Ā CosmicheskayaĀ SystyemaĀ PoiskaAvariynichĀ Sudov…loosely translated from the Russian language, this means “space system for the detection of vessels in distress.”
ELTĀ – Emergency Locator Transmitter
EPIRBĀ – Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon
FAAĀ – Federal Aviation Administration….theĀ U.S.agency charged with overseeing aviation safety.
FSSĀ – Flight Service Station….facilities interspersed throughout theĀ U.S.Ā that provide flight planning and emergency assistance to aircraft
GEOSARĀ – Geostationary Search and Rescue (also see LEOSAR).
GOESĀ – Geostationary Orbiting Environmental Satelliteā¦Geostationary satellite system that carries the SARP (see below for SARP definition).
GSFCĀ – Goddard Space Flight Center located in Greenbelt, Maryland
ICAOĀ – International Civil Aviation Organization
IMOĀ – International Maritime Organization
INMARSATĀ – InternationalĀ MobileĀ Satellite Organization
LEOĀ – Low Earth Orbiterā¦polar-orbiting satellite, much closer to Earth than GOES (also see POES).
LEOSARĀ – Low Earth Orbiting Search and Rescue (also see GEOSAR).
LUTĀ – Local User Terminal
MCCĀ –Ā MissionĀ ControlĀ Center
NASAĀ – National Aeronautics and Space Administration
NESDISĀ – National Environmental Satellite Data and Information Service…the branch of NOAA responsible for operation ofĀ U.S.Ā environmental and weather satellites.
NOAAĀ – National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
NSARCĀ – National Search and Rescue Committee
OSEĀ – Operational Support Equipment…the mobile LUT stationed at the USMCC.
PLBĀ – Personal Locator Beacon
POESĀ – Polar Orbiting Environmental Satellite…LEO satellite system that carries SARSAT instruments called SARR and SARP. Satellites also known as NOAA, METSAT and TIROS.
RCCĀ –Ā RescueĀ CoordinationĀ Center
SARĀ – Search and Rescue
SARPĀ – Search and Rescue Processor…the instrument carried onboard SARSAT satellites that receives, processes and stores 406 MHz beacon signals.
SARRĀ – Search and Rescue Repeater…the instrument carried onboard SARSAT satellites that receives and retransmits 406 MHz signals and transmits the processed data from the SARP.
SARSATĀ – Search And Rescue Satellite-Aided Tracking
SEDLĀ – System Evaluation and Development Laboratory…LUT at NASA-GSFC used for SARSAT research and development and on-orbit testing of SARSAT satellites.
SSEĀ – System Support Equipment…the LUT co-located at the USMCC that is used to test and monitor system modifications.
USAFĀ –Ā United StatesĀ Air Force
USCGĀ –Ā United StatesĀ Coast Guard
USMCC – United States Mission Control Center…located in Suitland, Maryland (just outside Washington, D.C.)