Zenith Space Mission 2007
Radio Terminology Used by NASA and the Space Shuttle
AFFIRMATIVE -- used in place of "yes."
AOS -- short for "acquisition of signal" or reception of a radio signal.
ATLANTIC ANOMALY -- an area of the South Atlantic which makes certain types of radio transmission difficult from the shuttle. Unknown causes.
CAPCOM -- short for "capsule communicator," the radio operator in mission control.
CHANNEL -- refers to the frequency setting of the radio. Radio operators must continuously be sure that radios are set to the correct channel.
CONFIRM -- indicate that the situation is as described as in "We confirm that SRB's are separated."
CONTROL -- Ground station currently in contact with shuttle. Often Houston.
COPY -- means the same as "message received and understood."
DOUBLING -- both radios were used at the same time so that neither operator could hear the other. "We doubled" could be said by one operator informing another that they both talked at the same time. "You doubled with us" might be said by a third operator who is informing the other two that they doubled.
DEPLOY -- to put into operation. As in: "he will deploy the satellite."
DOWNLINK -- radio setup from the shuttle to mission control.
LOS -- loss of radio signal.
NEGATIVE -- used in place of "no."
NEGATIVE COPY -- "we did not hear or understand you."
OVER -- means: "I have finished this message (or transmission) and will stop talking. It is now your turn."
PAUSE -- not a spoken term, but the name for a brief period of time between the end of one transmission by the shuttle and the beginning of a response by mission control or vis-versa. Required due to the nature of radio equipment and the very slight delay in transmission time between earth and the shuttle. Failure to observe this pause may mean that the first part of a reply will be missed.
REPEAT -- this one is obvious. "Please say your last message again as we did not hear or understand it."
ROGER -- message received.
TELEMETRY -- computer or other data sent by radio (not voice).
UPLINK -- radio setup from mission control to shuttle.
VERIFY -- same as CONFIRM.
YOU HAVE A GO FOR (SPECIFIED EVENT OR ACTIVITY) -- means: mission control gives you the ok to perform a particular task.
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