NASA unveils new satellite rescue system to find hikers, boaters

Distress beacons can be located in seconds
By Frank D. Roylance,
The Baltimore Sun
May 24, 2010

GREENBELT — NASA unveiled a new satellite-based system on Monday that space agency officials say should reduce the time needed to locate lost boaters and hikers to just seconds.

"Our mission is to take the "search" out of search-and-rescue technology," said Dave Affens, the search and rescue mission manager at NASA, an agency sometimes criticized for not focusing enough on Earth-bound problems.

"Our ultimate goal here is to save lives," Affens said. the rest