Mission Control / International Space Station Communications

[KG5HHS]

I watched a YouTube video a few days ago about mission control in Houston. I have been curious about how mission control communicates with the ISS. I’m sure its all encrypted in some form, but could someone elighten me on how communications takes places between mission control and the International Space Station?

 

[mmckenna]

Not sure if this is the only way (I'm sure it isn't) but take a look at this:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tracking_and_data_relay_satellite

 

[KG5HHS]

Interesting. Thank you for sharing the link. I dont know anything about satellite communications. Can voice communications be monitored?

 

[mmckenna]

Looks like they are using stuff well above 1gHz, and it's beamed up direct to the satellite, so I think it would be difficult.

Also, I suspect NASA would be intelligent enough to encrypt any of the good stuff, especially when lives depend on it.

I'd be interested to know if there are other means of communications that back up the TDRS. I'd suspect their would be. I know they use some UHF stuff for short range work.

 

[KG5HHS]

That doesn’t surprise me. I figured it was worth a shot to at least ask though.

 

[DCHarris]

Communication also takes place from Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama. My younger daughter was thinking of attending the University of Alabama at Huntsville, so on our tour of the school, we took a day to explore the space center and tour Redstone. While we were going through the Communications Center, one of the communicators, who was getting off shift, saw our group looking in at them through a large window. He came into where we were and talked to us about 20-30 minutes, answering any questions we had.

 

[spacellamaman]

I'd be interested to know if there are other means of communications that back up the TDRS. I'd suspect their would be.

Remote viewing. How do I know? I watched em do it. From home.


Thats how NASA knew about the Lisa Marie Nowak, astronaut/love triangle/adult diapers incident. I watched that unfold too. Radio is so old-fashioned.

 

[brent20]

The JSC did a podcast specifically on space communications. This may of interest: https://www.nasa.gov/johnson/HWHAP/can-you-hear-me-now

I believe they use a huge RTS Intercom Digital Matrix (What they call voice loops) and from there they get that up to the ISS.