Launch and Landing Operations

NASA Malabar/Palm Bay, FL NetsFrequency in KHz USB
Solid rocket booster recovery 2622 primary, 2764, 3187, 4510, 7765, 11407, 11621
NASA tracking vessels5180, 5187
ETR range control2678, 2664
ETR primary night channel5190
ETR secondary night channel5810
ETR primary day channel10780
ETR secondary day channel20390
Launch support ships5680, 11104, 11252, 18009, 19303
Launch support aircraft5350, 7676, 9022, 9043, 9132, 13227, 13878
Cape Radio/Leader4856
Cape radio/Coast Guard Ships4992
Cape Radio/Launch support A/C7461
Cape radio6896, 6837, 11414, 11548, 19640, 23413
S&R Coast Guard primary3024
S&R Primary recovery zone4376
S&R Primary Atlantic6720
S&R comm with Bahamas7412
Backup mission audio2664
Navy harbor control2716
Launch tracking net 7525, 20186
Space missle tactical net10305
OCC Shuttle mission audio20198
NASA CB radio channel 927065 AM
Data buoys 2405
Data channels7919, 7985, 13237, 13495
Malabar-Ascencion Island MUX 10310, 13600, 20192
Ascencion Island-Malabar MUX14937, 19966, 22755
USAF/NASA communications4510, 4760, 4855, 4992, 5350, 5810 6727, 6740, 8993, 9315, 9974, 10780, 11104, 11414, 11548, 14615, 19303, 19984, 20191, 20475

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Edwards AFB, California

OperationFrequency in MHz
ATIS 116.400
Control tower120.700
Ground control121.800
Approach control126.100, 127.800
Approach/departure control133.650
Commandpost138.450
Security149.925
NASA ops162.6125
NASA164.100
NASA169.400
Fire173.5875
Control tower236.600
ATIS269.900
Departure control290.300
Tower318.100
Approach control348.700
Dispatchers372.200
Ground control390.100

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Kennedy Space Center

Operation Frequency in MHz (except where noted)
Operations2182 (kHz USB)
Operations3023 (kHz USB)
Shuttle control117.800
Ground control121.750, 126.300
Weather plane126.650
Cranes142.500, 143.040
NASA booster recovery148.455
Launch countdown/status148.485
Search and Rescue ships148.500, 149.100
Shuttle crawler149.175
Search and Rescue ships162.000
NASA vessels162.0125
NASA ops162.6125
Security163.4625, 163.4875, 163.5125
Public affairs163.5375
Fire - primary163.5625
Tower318.100
Landing operations163.6125
Radiation checks164.000
Search and Rescue aircraft164.800
Check points165.1875
Base operations170.150
Transportation170.175
Public relations170.350
General Services Administration170.400
Maintenance/fuel171.150
Camera tracking171.2625
Security - gates173.175
Medics173.4375
Fire/rescue173.5625
Safety units173.6625
Fire - secondary173.7875
Ground control284.000

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Kennedy Space Center Ground Support

OperationFrequency in MHz
Operations148.480, 149.170, 162.610, 163.460, 163.480, 163.510, 163.560, 165.190, 170,150, 170.170, 170.350, 171.150, 171.260, 173.560, 173.680

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Patrick AFB, Florida

OperationFrequency in MHz
Approach/departure control118.400
Ground control121.700
Approach control125.100
Control tower126.200
Dispatcher128.800
Command post138.300
Flight line148.185
Security163.4875, 173.025
Command post/tower173.125
Fire/crash crews173.5875
Medics173.4375
NASA/USAF/NORAD228.800, 234.700, 251.000, 256.600, 263.200
ATIS273.500
U-2 aircraft ops312.000
Ground control335.800
Approach/departure control340.900
Weather344.600
Control tower348.400
Approach control358.300
Dispatchers372.200
Security413.275

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Cape Canaveral Air Force Station

OperationFrequency in MHz
NASA OSI40.190
NASA Army air ops40.700
NASA49.620, 138.150, 139.050, 139.250, 140.170, 140.200, 141.300, 143.430, 149.250
NASA ops139.300, 139.900
Cranes142.500, 142.860, 143.040
NASA Coast Guard air channel143.280
TV cameras148.035
Civil Air Patrol repeater148.150
Photo ops/Launch status148.485
NASA Titan III ops148.515, 149.150
Security163.4625
Fire163.5625
NASA Range Officer emergency destruct416.500

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Shuttle frequencies

OperationFrequency in MHz
Primary, air-to-ground or orbiter-to-suit296.800
Air-to-ground or suit-to-orbiter 259.700
Suit-to-orbiter or suit-to-suit279.000

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S-band Communications

OperationFrequency in MHz
Air-to-ground2205.000
Air-to-ground secondary2217.500
Air-to-ground primary digital downlink2287.500
Ground-to-air2041.900
Ground-to-air2201.400
Primary (USAF uplink, phase modulation)1831.800
Secondary1775.100
Wide band FM with main engine analog telemetry during launch, or TV during orbit operations.2250.000
Note from Ron Parise, WA4SIR"The S-band system is one of the primary orbiter downlink bands. The voice channels are digital slope delta modulation and are MUX'ed in with the rest of orbiter telemetry- very difficult to copy. Much of the downlink TV is S-band wide band FM and should be easy to copy.

The Ku-band system is used in conjunction with the TDRS satellites, and is used more heavily during Spacelab flight than others. The data rate is very high digital (50 Mbits/sec), and will be nearly impossible for you to demodulate and decommutate in your basement. Nevertheless, the shuttle transmits on 15.003 GHz. These transmission are directed toward the TDRS satellite with a high gain antenna, and cannot be copied from the gound.

The UHF frequencies are fun to listen to, but are not heavily used except during EVA's. You will almost always hear some activity on them during a mission, just be patient."

Ron WA4SIR (from NASA Spacelink BBS)

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Contractors

ContractorFrequency
Rockwell (Edwards, kHz, USB) 2995.5, 3282.5, 3475.5, 5597.5, 10010.5, 17966.5
Rockwell (Edwards, MHz)122.800, 123.050, 123.350, 123.525, 462.925
Rockwell (Edwards/Kennedy, MHz)123.475
McDonnell Douglas (Edwards, MHz)123.300, 123.550
Com-Tech Associates (Kennedy, MHz)151.955
IBM & Harris Corp. (Kennedy, MHz)152.480
TWA (Kennedy, MHz)154.515

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© 1995, 1996, 1997 Rich Weinkauf
Farmington, MI

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