As part of a series of end-to-end communications tests, we tested the audio link between the International Space Station and Mission Control Center Houston using the Shuttle Orbiter as a relay. The ISS-Orbiter link was the Space-to-Space Communication System (SSCS), which is a UHF TDMA system used for communications among the Shuttle, ISS, and the Extravehicular Mobility Units. Jeff Rouze and Joe Gard, who are Johnson Space Center contractors, took these pictures.

The test crew. From left to right, unknown PCS operator, Ronnie Lawson of KSC, Kent Gaylor of LinCom, Patrick Breen of KSC, me (in plaid shirt), and Joe Gard. I think we're all trying to find out where we are in the procedure. I'm wearing my usual two pairs of headsets; everyone else has only one. The gray box at center with the green lights is an OIS intercom box. You can connect and disconnect headsets to these boxes at will, but disconnection of the cord feeding the box is apparently a misdemeanor offense. I made the mistake of doing that during an earlier test, and I was made to see the error of my ways.

Another shot, from a different angle. You can see Joe in this one. It looks like we were auditioning for the lead role in The Hunchback of Notre Dame.

And another shot. Looks like furious activity at left, but although this test went quickly, we weren't that quick. I'm not sure who the blur at left is. I'm next, then Ronnie, unnamed PCS operator, and Patrick Breen.

A longer shot that shows where we were.

Ronnie Lawson, who ran the show, at the Portable Computer System. I had Jeff make these pictures to show the pain and suffering Ronnie had to endure operating the PCS. Each PCS had a small video camera pointed at the display, and the positioning of the laptop on the table looked suboptimum to say the least.

The PCS operators had to really reach for those keystroke entries. I don't know why they put the PCS there, unless it had to do with the video cameras. One of the powered monitor speakers we used is at lower middle, sitting on top of a tape box. The counter that was used to count dropouts detected by the dropout detector is partially visible at left.

Yes, that's me at lower left. The U.S. Lab ("Destiny") is back there somewhere.

Audio test equipment. A Mackie 1202 VLZ PRO mixer is at left, and an Anchor AN1000X powered speaker is back from it. (There is another speaker at right rear.) There is a Tascam DA-P1 DAT recorder in the middle with an Ashly 4.24G equalizer below it. The gray Bud box behind the equalizer is JSC's dropout detector, which worked pretty well for us. The off-white thing between it and the left speaker is a powered prototype board. The power supply from the proto board powered the dropout detector. At right, the counter used to count dropouts from the dropout detector is partially visible. There are also some DATs distributed randomly about.

A close-up of the DAT deck and equalizer.

GSE console, also called the SSCS Test Set. No GSE radios were used during this test. We mostly used the HP RF test set at upper middle.

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Author: Porter Clark <jpc@suespammers.org>
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Last update: December 31, 2001