To my knowledge (I'm not a ham operator, but I have eaten a number of hams), ham handhelds won't talk with satellites and have a relatively small broadcast range - depending a lot on the type and height of the antenna used.

As I understand, hams have been known to bounce signals off clouds, the atmosphere, and even the moon(?), but to bet your life on the ability to do that seems like its putting too many eggs in a teeny tiny basket.

The answer is PLB.

P.S. I'm thinking in terms of wilderness and even remote sub-suburban areas. Ham radios are wonderful for local communications in urban or suburban areas.