HR Smith Group : News : Expedition Southern Reach
Press Release: Expedition Southern Reach
Techtest Ltd supplied the RAF Expedition Southern Reach with its latest Series 500-27 Emergency Beacons capable of being tracked by satellites of the global COSPAS-SARSAT system.
The Expedition activated the beacon on five separate occasions during their 50-day trek, and on each test transmission the COSPAS-SARSAT satellites successfully detected the beacon and derived accurate GPS latitude and longitude from the encoded 406 MHz message data. The UK Search & Rescue Mission Control Centre at RAF Kinloss was therefore able independently to track the Expedition, thereby providing an important check on their progress and status. In total, the beacon accumulated over nine operating hours at temperatures as low as minus 50°C.
It was a great disappointment that the Expedition had to be abandoned only two days from reaching the South Pole. However, the successful performance of the Techtest emergency beacon under extreme conditions again reinforces the benefits of using proven technology so that in the event of a genuine emergency, a rescue mission can be initiated with appropriate speed and precision.
The Techtest Emergency Beacon is no stranger to Antarctica. In December 2003, a similar beacon was instrumental in detecting and locating the ill-fated Polar First Challenge in which Jennifer Murray and Colin Bodill crashed their Bell helicopter in extreme weather 120 miles North of Patriot Hills.
The HR Smith Group sends its warmest thanks to the Southern Reach team for the valuable experience gained from the Techtest beacon test transmissions, and wishes them all a safe return to the UK.
For further information, please contact us.