NASA’s new space-based radio system can track aircraft in real time across the globe, an advance that could make air travel safer and ensure that flights can be quickly located in case of mishaps.
NASA’s powerful radio communications network allows us to receive data such as pictures of cryovolcanoes on Pluto — or tweets from astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS).
However, to send larger quantities of data back and forth faster, NASA engineers wanted higher-frequency radios that can be reprogrammed from a distance using software updates.
“A reconfigurable radio lets engineers change how the radio works throughout the life of any space mission,” said Thomas Kacpura, Advanced Communications Programme manager at NASA’s Glenn Research Centre in the US.