The European GNSS Agency (GSA) together with Orolia, CNES, Enaire, Spanish Mission Coordination Centre (MCC), Spanish Rescue Coordination Center (RCC) and French MCC, have successfully performed end-to-end test tests with the airlines Iberia and Air France on remote beacon activation using the Galileo Return Link Service (RLS). The tests helped to assess and validate the operational concept for a potential new use of Galileo to support fast response in distress situations.

The huge value of the Galileo Search and Rescue (SAR) service was underlined in a live demonstration off the coast of Belgium on Thursday 26 September. Operation Shark Bait showed how this vital service can quickly trigger a rescue operation and save lives at sea. Despite a grey day and choppy sea conditions, an emergency rescue was initiated in just over three and a half minutes after intrepid “volunteer victim”, Australian broadcaster and explorer Tara Foster, operated her Galileo-enabled SAR beacon from a small life raft buffeted by the waves just offshore from the port of Ostend.

Have you ever wondered how pilots can land a plane when it is snowing or foggy? The answers lie just five minutes away from downtown Prague.