Satellites are manmade objects put into orbit. On Earth, satellites are used to send television signals, provide phone communications, for navigation (GPS), provide meteorologists with the ability to see weather on a global scale, and monitor safety, among many other things. Outside of Earth’s orbit, satellites are used to understand phenomena such as pulsars and black holes, as well as measure the age of the universe. Satellites can provide information about clouds, land, oceans, and ice, as well as measure gases and energy. 

To ensure that satellite communication between Mission Control and the Spacecraft can work properly, you must work with the Mission Commander on board the Spacecraft to align the communication satellite across three plains.

Messages travel through space as radio waves, just like the radio waves you receive with a car radio. Each spacecraft has a transmitter and receiver for radio waves as a way of interpreting the information received and acting on it. 

Spacecraft use something called the Deep Space Network (DSN) of radio telescope sites to communicate with Earth. The DSN is NASA’s international array of giant radio antennas that supports interplanetary spacecraft  missions, like the one you are part of today. The DSN also provides radar and radio astronomy observations that improve our understanding of the solar system and the larger universe. The DSN is a powerful system for commanding, tracking, and monitoring the health and safety of spacecraft at many distant locations. The DSN also enables powerful science investigations that probe the nature of asteroids and the interiors of planets and moons. 

The DSN provides a two-way communications link that guides and controls various unmanned interplanetary space probes, and brings back the images and new scientific information these probes collect. All DSN antennas are steerable, high-gain, parabolic reflector antennas. 

High-Gain Antenna

• 10-foot diameter dish antenna for sending and receiving data at high rates
• Must be pointed accurately
• The primary means of communication from the probe to the DSN

Low-Gain Antenna

• Two smaller antennas necessary to provide lower-rate communication during emergencies and special events
• Has the ability to both transmit and receive data
• The DSN can “see” the signal even when the spacecraft is not pointed at Earth

To understand the difference between a high-gain and low-gain antenna, consider how a flashlight works: With a tightly focused beam of light (high-gain antenna), you can see farther ahead but not at all to the side. With a wide beam (low-gain antenna) you can see all around you but not very far.

Amplifiers

• Devices that boost the power of the spacecraft’s radio signals so they are strong enough to be detected by the DSN antennas on Earth
• Located on the back of high-gain antennas

Transponders

• Transmitter function: translates digital electrical signals into radio signals for sending data
• Receiver function: translates radio signals into digital electrical signals for receiving data
• Navigation function: transmits signals that provide critical navigation clues, helping navigators on Earth make precise calculations on the spacecraft speed and distance from Earth.

On Earth, satellites are used daily to capture images of our complex planet. They help us to understand things like ocean currents, weather patterns, and land use. This method of collecting data is known as remote sensing.

Scientists can use satellites to gather data and images of far away celestial bodies as well. Images of Europa collected from various space missions have allowed scientists to better understand the terrain of the icy moon. Better knowledge of Europa has led to further interest in Jupiter’s moon as a place of potential life in our solar system besides Earth.

Send and receive signals to the space satellites through the DSN.  Your goal is to send 100% of the signal to each satellite.

Click to go to DSN Uplink-Downlink