MMEK Demonstration · May 20, 2026

Texas SAREX — San Antonio

The AStar camera ship flying the Texas search-and-rescue exercise out of San Antonio: live Shotover EO/IR to the exercise TOC and to remote viewers nationwide over the aircraft's own Starlink, with the rescue sites, waypoints and crew positions on one TAK picture.

Map of the SAREX flight track and rescue sites
The AStar's sensor track over the exercise area (recorded portions) with the SAREX rescue sites from the exercise KML.

By the numbers

4h 10m
recorded on station
260 mi
flown
121
remote viewers
16 + CA
states
14
peak at once
12.2 GB
video served
– on this page right now– on VECTOR right now– visitors to this page so far

Viewer figures from the VECTOR access log for the flight day (counted by network address, so a shared network counts once).

What was demonstrated

TAK · VECTOR · BLOS over Starlink

Live video from the aircraft, anywhere

Shotover EO/IR off the AStar through the onboard Starlink to VECTOR — watched at the exercise TOC and by 121 remote viewers in 16 states and Canada, no ground station required.

The exercise on one map

Rescue sites, HLZs and the SAREX waypoints loaded into TAK and VECTOR before the first flight; aircraft position and sensor footprint live on top of them.

Operator-driven markup

Shared markup let the operator in the TOC drop and move points that every VECTOR viewer and TAK device saw at once — the first exercise where the picture was driven from the ground.

How it went

On May 20 the AStar flew four hours over the exercise area north of San Antonio — Camp Bullis, the creek-bed and training-site rescue scenarios, and the approach corridor back into KSAT — with the sensor picture streamed live over the aircraft's Starlink to the TOC and to VECTOR.

It was the biggest single-day audience of any AOG flight to that point: 121 live video viewers across 16 states and Ontario, with 12 to 14 people watching continuously through the morning rescue scenarios and 12.24 GB of video served. Most of the remote audience watched on phones — the SAREX participant with a link, which is exactly what the page was built for.

  • 121 live viewers · 16 states + Canada · peak 14 at once · 12.24 GB streamed
  • Beyond-line-of-sight video with no ground station — onboard Starlink from the aircraft straight to the web
  • Rescue sites, HLZs and waypoints from the exercise KML on the TAK / VECTOR picture before wheels-up
  • Stand-off tracking of the DPS rescue crew on a rooftop hoist, faces and gear resolvable
  • Long-range hold on an airliner on final into KSAT — 4° down to 1.3° field of view

Footage from this flight

MMEK In Action

1:30
May 20, 2026 · Operator screen

Stand-off tracking of a rescue crew

San Antonio TX area (Camp Bullis training)

A hoist evolution on a rooftop tracked from overhead: a tight frame on the crew, then a pull-back to the aircraft repositioning. Faces and gear resolvable from stand-off altitude.

AircraftAStar camera ship (MMEK sensor suite)
LocationSan Antonio TX area (Camp Bullis training)
TransmissionStarlink (onboard) to VECTOR
Shot during a joint training day with Texas DPS Aircraft Operations, San Antonio.
Texas DPSHoistSARTracking↓ Download
0:45
May 20, 2026 · Operator screen

Tracking a helicopter over brush

San Antonio TX area (Camp Bullis training)

Holding a DPS helicopter low over the brush.

AircraftAStar camera ship (MMEK sensor suite)
LocationSan Antonio TX area (Camp Bullis training)
TransmissionStarlink (onboard) to VECTOR
Texas DPSAir-to-airTrackingMap↓ Download
1:10
May 20, 2026 · Operator screen

Long-range tracking of an airliner on final

San Antonio International (KSAT)

From 4° to 1.3° field of view on an airliner on approach.

AircraftAStar camera ship (MMEK sensor suite)
LocationSan Antonio International (KSAT)
TransmissionStarlink (onboard) to VECTOR
AirlinerZoomTrackingMap↓ Download
0:52
May 20, 2026 · Narrow EO

Holding one point for 52 seconds

San Antonio TX area (Camp Bullis training)

Vehicles at a training compound held on a single point for 52 s — geo-lock stability.

AircraftAStar camera ship (MMEK sensor suite)
LocationSan Antonio TX area (Camp Bullis training)
TransmissionStarlink (onboard) to VECTOR
Ground targetGeo-holdVehiclesEO narrow↓ Download

More clips in the In Action gallery.

Bring MMEK to your operation

MMEK is a certified, modular mission equipment kit for the UH-72 Lakota — EO/IR, multi-band radio, MANET and TAK in one installation. Talk to us about fielding it for your unit.

Contact AOG About MMEK

mac@aog-solutions.com · 361-549-8862 · Forward this link to anyone who should see it