Satellites​ operated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to track severe storms and gather environmental data are also being used to save lives.

Last year, the satellites played a critical role in helping authorities find and rescue nearly 400 people who were lost at sea, including 106 people in Florida alone.

In July, the Search and Rescue Satellite Aided Tracking system located a disabled boat with four people on board in the Gulf of Mexico, 55 miles west of Sanibel Island, Fla. After an emergency beacon was activated on the boat, NOAA satellites detected its signal and alerted the Coast Guard

Lt. Marisa Gedney of the NOAA Commissioned Officer Corps told Spectrum News that once a beacon is activated, it can be detected by satellites in a matter of seconds.

"If you're in the middle of the ocean, receiving that signal is near-instantaneous," she told Spectrum News. 

Lt. Gedney said registering a beacon with NOAA and carrying it on a boat, or on a hike in a remote location, can mean the difference between life and death. 

"Beacons are intended to help save your life," she said. "It's like insurance. You feel good knowing that you have it, but you hope that you never have to use it."

NOAA said that 397 people were saved last year because of the satellite-aided tracking system, the second-highest annual tally on record, including 275 sea rescues, 80 land rescues and 42 aviation rescues. 

"There is a slight trend of increasing which we believe is just because there are more beacons in use out there," she added. "And so with the increased beacon population comes an increased number of rescues ... I think it's just more people have that access now to call for help."

So far this year, 22 people have been rescued with the help of these NOAA satellites.