The Space Shuttle Orbiter Communication and Tracking System

• Main Authors: Carrier, Louis M., Pope, Warren S.
• Other Authors: Rockwell International
• Language: en_US
• Published: International Foundation for Telemetering 1978
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10150/609901; http://arizona.openrepository.com/arizona/handle/10150/609901

International Telemetering Conference Proceedings / November 14-16, 1978 / Hyatt House Hotel, Los Angeles, California === During space flight, the communications and tracking system of the Space Shuttle orbiter uses S- and Ku-band links to provide tracking; reception of digitized voice, commands, and printed or diagramatic data at a maximum rate of 216 kilobits a second; and transmission of digitized voice, telemetry, television, and data at a maximum rate of 50 megabits a second. S-band links may be established directly with a ground station and both S- and Ku-band links may be routed through NASA's Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System A simultaneous capability to communicate with other satellites or spacecraft, using a variety of formats and modulation techniques on more than 850 S-band channels, is provided. UHF is used for communication with extravehicular astronauts. Audio and television subsystems serve on-board needs as well as interfacing with the RF equipment. During aerodynamic flight following entry, a UHF link provides two-way simplex voice communication with Air Traffic Control facilities. Air navigation aids include TACAN, a microwave scan-beam landing system and radar altimeters.