What are some ways that NASA communicate with astronauts in space?

Question

I have to do a research paper on this question.

Answer 1

NASA ground controllers make extensive use of the TDRSS satellites.

TDRSS stands for Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System. More information is found at the NASA website:

http://msp.gsfc.nasa.gov/tdrss/oview.html

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Answer 2

I can't answer a question when you haven't written the vowel correctly because I don't know exactly what your question is asking

Do you mean "ways that NASA communicatED" which would have been the historical way NASA communicated with the Astronauts or do you mean "ways that NASA communicateS" which would mean their current way to communicate with the astronauts.

It's a small thing, but if you are going to write a "research" paper then you need to be a bit more careful with your suffixes or you can change the entire meaning of the sentence.

That being said... HISTORICALLY... the Cap Com (Capsule Communications) was done early on with a form of high frequency Single Sideband Suppressed Carrier transmissions. The later version used an FM signal that was multiplexed onto the main telemetry carrier.

I think they are still using an advanced version of this form of communications today.

Answer 3

Back in the olden days, during Mercury & Gemini, they used ground tracking stations. For about 7-8 minutes, a capsule would be within line-of-sight communications with the ground station, then it would be out of contact until it flew over the next station.

Apollo didn't have many issues like that (well, they did in Earth orbit), but when they were on their way to the moon or at the moon, they were always within line-of-sight of somebody.

Today, as mentioned above, they use the TDRS (pronounced tee-drus) satellites to stay in constant communication. They're basically relay satellites (I think three are operational cuurrently) that bounce our signals to and from the shuttle and ISS, so they're *never* out of communication ranges.

Answer 4

Semaphore telegraph, much like the flags sailors use to communicate. The astronaught peers out the portal window to really large flags NASA engineers have mounted on special poles on the ground.

On days clouds obscure Houston the astronaughts peer down at Cape Kennedy instead.

Answer 5

Radio mainly. I dont think they use nything else.

Answer 6

motorola, havnt you seen the commercial?