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For people like me that are surprised/confused as heck at the headline how an SOS message can cause a fire: think smoke signals, not galileo signals.

by Aachen 4y ago

hotpotamus 4y ago
I was thinking Galileo was an analog of GPS which wouldn't do much good for someone who wanted a rescue. Knowing exactly where you are doesn't help much if you can't tell anyone. I am far from an avid hiker, but if I was going to be doing anything remotely dangerous away from regular cell coverage, I'd take an EPIRB which I believe has some satellites in the loop but sort of works in reverse of GPS. I think the rescue bills might approach what this gentleman is being charged, but sometimes circumstances call for it.
- Aachen 4y ago
  Galileo has search and rescue capabilities (relaying emergency signals, that is) https://www.euspa.europa.eu/european-space/galileo/services/search-and-rescue-sar-galileo-service https://www.euspa.europa.eu/european-space/galileo/services/... It does more than GPS / location determining. I didn't think a commercial provider would be as well known (I've never heard of EPIRB) as this constellation, but yeah I guess few people would know Galileo as more than GNSS
  - hotpotamus 4y ago
    I first heard about it because of this story: https://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-kaufman-sailing-voyage-20140410-story.html https://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-kaufman-sailing... I don't think it's a commercial system, but there is great cost in diverting a US Navy vessel for a search and rescue operation, though I suppose that is ideally the reason that they're out there in some sense. After just a touch more reading, it looks like the rescue locator beacon system is piggybacking on GPS and Galileo satellites for some functionality, but includes other satellite and ground based systems too. Pretty cool.
harambae 4y ago
I was also confused by this until reading further. The whole situation reminds me of the early days of long motorcycle races in the southern California desert -- if someone's motorcycle broke down they'd set their tire on fire to signal they needed help and someone would come pick them up. Of course this was before satellite transponders. And you're a lot less likely to start an out of control fire in the desert.

For people like me that are surprised/confused as heck at the headline how an SOS message can cause a fire: think smoke signals, not galileo signals.

by Aachen 4y ago

For people like me that are surprised/confused as heck at the headline how an SOS message can cause a fire: think smoke signals, not galileo signals.

hotpotamus 4y ago

I was thinking Galileo was an analog of GPS which wouldn't do much good for someone who wanted a rescue. Knowing exactly where you are doesn't help much if you can't tell anyone. I am far from an avid hiker, but if I was going to be doing anything remotely dangerous away from regular cell coverage, I'd take an EPIRB which I believe has some satellites in the loop but sort of works in reverse of GPS. I think the rescue bills might approach what this gentleman is being charged, but sometimes circumstances call for it.

Aachen 4y ago
Galileo has search and rescue capabilities (relaying emergency signals, that is) https://www.euspa.europa.eu/european-space/galileo/services/search-and-rescue-sar-galileo-service https://www.euspa.europa.eu/european-space/galileo/services/... It does more than GPS / location determining. I didn't think a commercial provider would be as well known (I've never heard of EPIRB) as this constellation, but yeah I guess few people would know Galileo as more than GNSS
- hotpotamus 4y ago
  I first heard about it because of this story: https://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-kaufman-sailing-voyage-20140410-story.html https://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-kaufman-sailing... I don't think it's a commercial system, but there is great cost in diverting a US Navy vessel for a search and rescue operation, though I suppose that is ideally the reason that they're out there in some sense. After just a touch more reading, it looks like the rescue locator beacon system is piggybacking on GPS and Galileo satellites for some functionality, but includes other satellite and ground based systems too. Pretty cool.

harambae 4y ago

I was also confused by this until reading further. The whole situation reminds me of the early days of long motorcycle races in the southern California desert -- if someone's motorcycle broke down they'd set their tire on fire to signal they needed help and someone would come pick them up. Of course this was before satellite transponders. And you're a lot less likely to start an out of control fire in the desert.