Paper Session III-A - Communication Satellite Technology: NASA\u27s Investment Pays Back

NASA’s investment in communications satellite technology pays large dividends to the public and now NASA stands to also benefit. NASA is readying itself to become a customer of the Industry it helped to create and at the same time empower the talent in federal labs and universities through a new industry/government/university Alliance to ensure its happening. Little did anyone at NASA in the 60’s realize that its investment in demonstrating how satellites could used for communications by people on earth would someday evolve to the point where they are becoming a commercial enterprise capable of serving NASA’s own operational needs of the future. The first satellite used for communications was a simple reflector capable of “bouncing” a radio signal back to earth. This was followed by simple transponding satellites of limited power and access due, in part, to their altitude and eclipse periods. Through the accomplishments of NASA’s Applications Technology Satellite, ATS, program, communication satellites grew in power and capability. Frequencies climbed from VHF to C-Band and the satellites themselves reached geostationary orbit over the US providing near continuous service. During this same period NASA relied on a series of large ground stations making up the Satellite Tracking and Data Network, STADN, to conduct its scientific and applications missions