A crew of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution show their skills during a capsize drill. Photo: Wikimedia.

Time is of the essence when crises happen at sea — and satellites are a critical tool in maritime search-and-rescue operations due to their wide footprint. Once complete, the Medium-Altitude Earth Orbit Search and Rescue (MEOSAR) system is poised to significantly improve authorities’ reaction times in the event of an emergency.

Read more at Cruising World