1967 - GSFC begins developing & demonstrating radio beacon location from space
1973 - Interagency Committee on Search and Rescue (ICSAR) formed with NASA as a charter member
1976 - ICSAR recommends demonstration of satellite detection and location of emergency beacons
1978 - New start for cooperative "SARSAT" program with France and Canada, NASA Search and Rescue Mission Office formed
1979 - Memo of Understanding signed between Russia (USSR), USA, Canada, and France (principal parties)
1982 (C-1) - 1983(S-1) - First satellite launches, first saves
1984 - Second Memo of Understanding signed by four principal International parties
1985 - Operational responsibility for SARSAT transferred to NOAA, with NASA to provide technical support - International Cospas-Sarsat System declared operational
1987 - Experimental geostationary search and rescue repeater launched on GOES-7
1988 - International "Cospas-Sarsat Programme Agreement" signed
1993 - Development of location protocols and self-locating beacons begins
1994 - Testing of first GPS based prototype self-locating beacons
1996 - Experiments with beacon tracking in moving vehicles and airplanes
1998 - Geostationary portion of Cospas-Sarsat declared operational
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