10. CONCLUSION
The Cospas-Sarsat System is an important part of the international Search and Rescue infrastructure. As a SAR communications provider, it has delivered information and services in support of SAR operations for over 35 years. From September 1982 to December 2019, data from Cospas-Sarsat has contributed to the rescue of more than 50,000 persons in over 15,000 SAR events. That works out to more than one rescue per day, with an average of 3.6 lives saved every day for more than 35 years. By the 2010’s, the average number of lives saved in SAR events alerted by 406 beacons had increased to six each day.
The System is continually being developed and enhanced, and it is expected to continue to contribute to the safety of people all over the world for the foreseeable future.