Posts: 2216
From: Worcestershire, England, UK.
Registered: Apr 2008

posted 08-21-2013 02:48 AM               

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I watched a TV programme last week that said the Skylab space station communications were covered by several aircraft around the world to enable constant contact.

I must be naive as I had no idea this was the case and just assumed it was via satellites.

Posts: 501
From: Pearland, Texas USA
Registered: May 2003

Posts: 142
From: London England
Registered: Jan 2008

posted 08-21-2013 07:57 AM               

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I'm not aware of satellites being used to relay telemetry during Skylab missions. However, I'm sure others may correct this.

The ATS satellite was used during the Apollo-Soyuz mission which I understood to be something of a first.

Boeing 135 ARIA aircraft with their distinctive bulbous nose were used during Skylab as they were during Apollo to relay communications "as I understand it" in areas out of reach of the worldwide ground based receiving stations.

Posts: 142
From: London England
Registered: Jan 2008

Posts: 479
From: Australia
Registered: Jul 2003

posted 08-21-2013 09:01 AM               

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As well as the land based tracking network there were four range instrumented aircraft and one tracking ship, the USNS Vanguard. The aircraft operated from Australian (2), Spanish and Indian Ocean airfields and were mainly used to fill the voids in communications during the launch and early orbital phases of each flight.

Satellites were not in general use until part the way through the Space Shuttle missions when a system of TDRS satellites was commissioned. The first was launched in 1983 on STS-6.

Posts: 1488
From: Cape Canaveral, FL
Registered: Mar 2010