Togo acquires Thales Alenia Space’s advanced MEOLUT Next ground station to locate distress signals

Togo and Thales Alenia Space announced today that they have signed a contract for a ground station to be installed in Lomé, Togo, to be used for the search and rescue (SAR) of persons in distress, mainly using the Galileo satellite positioning system. Based on Thales Alenia Space’s MEOLUT Next* (Medium Orbit Local User Terminal), the latest-generation MEOSAR (Medium Orbit Search and Rescue) technology, this system will enable the instantaneous location, with unprecedented accuracy, of a distress call issued by a beacon operating through the COSPAS-SARSAT ** system.

The fully integrated ground station comprises a compact, high-tech beam-shaping antenna (capable of taking maximum advantage of Galileo’s SAR service), a Mission Control Center (MCC) dedicated to managing and distributing alerts, and a Rescue Coordination Center (RCC), which interfaces with systems already in place locally or in neighboring countries (for fire-fighters, armed forces, coast guards, etc.).

The ground station will detect and locate any distress signal triggered by a ship, plane or land vehicle, thus enhancing the safety of people and goods. The unexcelled coverage provided by the beam-shaping antenna will allow Togo to receive distress signals over a radius of more than 3,000 kilometers, which means it will cover the entire Gulf of Guinea and a large part of the African continent.

“Thales Alenia Space’s MEOLUT Next station perfectly reflects Togolese government’s aim of guaranteeing maritime safety in the Gulf of Guinea, while also fostering a climate of security that is needed to underpin the economic development of the country and the entire region”, declared Mr Ninsao Gnofam, Minister of infrastructures and transports.