[Satellite TODAY 03-04-13] Com Dev International has been awarded a contract from Public Works and Government Services Canada to design satellite equipment for the next generation Cospas-Sarsat global search and rescue system, the company announced March 4.

   Throughout the first phase of the Medium Earth Orbit Search and Rescue Project, Com Dev will develop a repeater that Canada plans to send into space as part of Cospas-Sarsat’s payload. The contract has a value of $4.7 million, with a $14-million option for development work to produce a prototype of the repeater for test and space qualification.

   Once in orbit, the repeater will be able to detect signals from emergency beacons and retransmit those signals to receiver stations on Earth. Com Dev said work on the first phase of the project should last approximately 15 months.

   “This project demonstrates Canada’s continued commitment to the global search and rescue system,” Com Dev CEO Mike Pley said in a statement. “It is also an excellent example of how Canadian space technology can be harnessed for the benefit of all humanity.”