1.6 GHz Distress Radio Call System (DRCS) via geostationary satellites (INMARSAT-E) - Results of the preoperational demonstration
- Paper ID
IAF-90-467
- author
- company
Deutsche Forschungsanstalt für Luft- und Raumfahrt (DLR)
- country
Federal Republic of Germany
- year
1990
- abstract
Two very important decisions for the system were made in the past two years: The one was passing the Governments Conference 1988 on the Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS). It decided that every ship shall have Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacons (satellite EPIRBs) on board not later than 1 August 1993 and that distress alerts may be transmitted either through the polar orbiting satellite service at 406 MHz or through the INMARSAT satellite service at 1.6 GHz (1). The condition at the footnotes concerning the availability of receivers for each ocean region can now be fulfilled. The second decision passed the 36th INMARSAT Council in July 1990 to the effect that 1.6 GHz satellite EPIRB services shall be provided through the INMARSAT system. The two decisions based on the positive results of the Preoperational Demonstration are the necessary provisions for the implementation of the system.