The United States Space Shuttle uses several different radios to communicate with the Mission Control Center (MCC). The Space Shuttle usually communicates through a relay satellite known as the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System (TDRSS). TDRSS transfers the information down to an antenna at White Sands, New Mexico. White Sands transfers the information to the MCC.

Mission Control Center--Johnson Space Center

There are two mission control centers, depending on which Shuttle mission is being flown. The first mission type is the Military Mission. The control center for this mission is at Goddard, Maryland. This mission involves such things as putting up spy satellites. The second mission type is the NASA mission. NASA is an acronym for National Aeronautics and Space Administration. This mission involves such things as repairing the Hubble telescope. This mission’s control center is at Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. The backup for NASA’s control mission is Kennedy Space Center(Cape Canaveral), Florida. When the shuttle commander is talking to the MCC, he is actually talking to the CAPCOM, another astronaut who has trained with the crew that is in orbit.

This is the CAPCOM for STS-29 shuttle mission

CAPCOM is an expert, and is the ONLY person that is allowed to communicate with the Space Shuttle. He sits in the mission control center, and will be very important to the Space Shuttle if there is an emergency. CAPCOM will be the one who will go through the emergency checklist. He does this because it is easier when one person communicates and it reduces the possibility of misunderstandings or mistakes. The name "CAPCOM" means "capsule communicator" and was the term used in the early days of the Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo space capsules.

The Space Shuttle also uses radio to communicate with other spacecraft. The only time the Space Shuttle has ever communicated with another spacecraft is when rendezvousing with MIR, the Russian space station.

Additionally, a crew member that is a licensed amateur radio operator can communicate with other licensed amateur radio operators around the world or with a school in the SAREX (an acronym for Shuttle Amateur Radio Experiment) program. SAREX involves a licensed amateur radio operator coming to a school and letting a few children communicate with the crew member. The children usually ask the astronaut questions about living and working in space.

Students at Lexington Magnet School talking to STS-94.

In the future, the International Space Station (ISS) will use radio to help astronauts from the USA, Russia, Canada, Japan, and the European Space Agency assemble the various modules. There are already two modules orbiting the Earth at approximately 250 miles, circling the Earth once every 92 minutes. The first module was the Russian "Zarya" launched in November of 1998 and the second module was the USA built "Unity Node."

Artist's concept of the International Space Station.

The Russian Service Module "Zvezda" is to be the next module delivered. When the ISS is completed in 2004, it will use radio to communicate with mission control centers, spacecraft from the USA, Russia, and China, and with amateur radio operators.

This web page is for my I-Search project in my P.R.O.M.I.S.E. class at Timberwilde Elementary,

Updated March 5, 2000

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