[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 24 (Monday, February 8, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Page 8598]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-02509]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration


Return Link Service Authorization in the United States Search and 
Rescue Region

AGENCY: National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service 
(NESDIS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 
Commerce.

ACTION: Notice and request for public comment.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Search and Rescue Satellite Aided Tracking (SARSAT) 
Program, which is managed by NOAA and assisted by the National 
Aeronautics and Space Administration, the U.S. Air Force, and the U.S. 
Coast Guard, requests input from all interested persons on the U.S. 
authorization of Return Link Service (RLS) acknowledgment Type 1 
capable Cospas-Sarsat 406 MHz distress beacons. Through this Request 
for Information (RFI), the SARSAT Program seeks the public's views on 
the inclusion of this optional feature on U.S. country-coded beacons.

DATES: Comments must be received by April 30, 2021.

ADDRESSES: Responses should be submitted via email to 
[email protected]. Include ``Public Comment on type approval of 
RLS beacons'' in the subject line of the message. All personal 
identifying information (e.g., name, address, etc.), confidential 
business information, or otherwise sensitive information submitted 
voluntarily by the sender will be publicly accessible. NOAA will accept 
anonymous comments. Clearly indicate which question or subject, if 
applicable, submitted comments pertain to. All submissions must be in 
English. Please note that the U.S. Government will not pay for response 
preparation, or for the use of any information contained in the 
response.
    Instructions: Respondents need not reply to any or all of the 
questions listed. Email attachments will be accepted in plain text, 
Microsoft Word, or Adobe PDF formats only. Each individual or 
institution is requested to submit only one response. The SARSAT 
Program may post responses to this RFI, without change, on a Federal 
website. NOAA, therefore, requests that no business proprietary 
information, copyrighted information, or personally identifiable 
information be submitted in response to this RFI.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: SARSAT Program Analyst, Mr. Allan 
Knox, NOAA, [email protected], 301-817-4144.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    The RLS is being provided via the Galileo Global Navigation 
Satellite System and is designed to provide the beacon user in distress 
an acknowledgment message informing them that the alert has been 
detected and located by the Cospas-Sarsat System.
    The SARSAT Program has commenced an effort to understand the 
benefits and associated risks of RLS Type 1 equipped beacons and is 
soliciting the public through this RFI to obtain input from a wider 
range of stakeholders, including academia, private industry, beacon 
users and other relevant organizations and institutions. The public 
input provided in response to this RFI will help inform the SARSAT 
Program as it evaluates the authorization of RLS Type 1 equipped 
beacons within the United States.
    In depth information on RLS Type 1 equipped beacons can be found 
at: https://www.gsc-europa.eu/sites/default/files/sites/all/files/Galileo-SAR-SDD.pdf.
    Additional information on RLS-enabled beacons may be viewed at: 
https://cospas-sarsat.int/en/beacon-ownership/rls-enabled-beacon-purchase.

Questions To Inform U.S. SARSAT Program Regarding Authorization of Type 
1 RLS Cospas-Sarsat Distress Beacons

    Please consider the following questions of interest to the SARSAT 
Program when responding:
    1. Under nominal conditions, the RLS has an inherent period of time 
between beacon activation and the acknowledgement being received and 
displayed to the person in distress. This period of time should be 
within 30 minutes. Is this acceptable? If not, what is an acceptable 
time?
    2. What is the best method to ensure the user understands that 
there is a period of time before the acknowledgement message is 
received? Please consider that the user's first interaction with an RLS 
capable beacon could be an emergency situation where only the beacon is 
available (no user manual).
    3. RLS only indicates that the distress signal has been received, 
not that rescue forces have been deployed. Therefore, the 
acknowledgement message is not an indication of when rescue forces may 
arrive on scene. How should the beacon user be provided this 
information so that they understand what the RLS signal means? Please 
consider that the user's first interaction with an RLS capable beacon 
could be an emergency situation where only the beacon is available (no 
user manual).
    4. There are several RLS related message indications that can be 
displayed to the beacon user; RLS signal sent from beacon, awaiting RLS 
signal return, RLS response received, RLS signal not received, etc. 
Which signals should be displayed to the user and how should they be 
displayed? Please consider the user's first interaction with an RLS 
capable beacon could be an emergency situation where only the beacon is 
available (no user manual).
    5. Are there any other features you believe would be advantageous 
to add to 406 MHz emergency beacons?
    6. Are there any other comments you would like the U.S. SARSAT 
Program to consider?

    Authority: 33 U.S.C. 883(d) and (e).

    Dated: February 3, 2021.
Mark W. Turner,
SARSAT Program Manager.
[FR Doc. 2021-02509 Filed 2-5-21; 8:45 am]
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