How NASA Communicates with Spacecraft
Explained by Expert Risha George
NASA has been communicating with spacecraft for decades, using a network of antennas across the world to collect incoming data through radio waves. However, the space agency is now exploring laser communications, a technology that will allow us to receive more data from further than ever before, and faster too.
Risha George, NASA's space communications expert, explains the different ways of communicating with a spacecraft. "We have a network of antennas all over the world across all seven continents, along with satellites in space that help transmit these radio waves," she says. "Astronauts, mission controllers, and scientists rely on this network to transmit messages and commands and receive data such as never-before-seen images of our solar system and universe."
However, spacecraft in orbit can only communicate directly to ground stations on Earth if the satellite has a clear view of the ground station, which typically only occurs for a short period of time. To address this, NASA has a fleet of specialized communication satellites in geosynchronous orbit called Tracking and Data Relay Satellites (TDRS), which relay data from other spacecraft to ground stations, providing near-continuous global communications coverage to missions in low Earth orbit.
NASA is also developing ways to communicate with invisible infrared lasers. "Laser Communications offers missions higher data rates than ever before, allowing us to transmit more data at once," says Risha. "One mission doing that now is the Laser Communications Relay Demonstration (LCRD), which will work with the International Space Station, allowing more science and exploration data so we can continue making discoveries about our planet. We also have a demonstration called T-Bird, which is testing laser communications with huge bursts of data from a small satellite in low Earth orbit."
NASA plans to use laser communications when humans return to the Moon with Artemis.
In conclusion, communication with spacecraft is mostly done via radio waves between space and ground, but NASA is pushing the boundaries with laser communications to receive more data from further than ever before. With advancements in technology, we can expect more efficient and faster communication with spacecraft in the future, leading to new discoveries and breakthroughs in our understanding of the universe.
