TECHNOLOGY EVOLUTION AND INNOVATION IN SPACECRAFT COMMUNICATIONS

Abstract

This paper discusses the evolution of the ground satellite communication systems and the efforts made by the Goddard Space Flight Center's (GSFC) Advanced Architectures and Automation (AAA) branch, Code 588 to bring satellite scientific data to the user’s desktop. Primarily, it describes the next generation desktop system, its architecture and processing capabilities, which provide autonomous high-performance telemetry acquisition at the lowest possible cost. It also discusses the planning processes and the applicability of new technologies for communication needs in the next century. The paper is presented in terms simple for those not very familiar with current space programs to understand.