Spacecraft send information and pictures back to Earth using the Deep Space Network (DSN), a collection of big radio antennas. ... Spacecraft send information and pictures back to Earth using the Deep Space Network, or DSN. The DSN is a collection of big radio antennas in different parts of the world.

How do satellites communicate with Earth?

Satellites communicate by using radio waves to send signals to the antennas on the Earth. The antennas then capture those signals and process the information coming from those signals. Information can include: ... where the satellite is currently located in space.

How does ISS communicate with Earth?

In addition to direct-to-Earth communications, many NASA missions rely on relay satellites in order to get their data to the ground. For example, the space station communicates through Tracking and Data Relay Satellites (TDRS), which transmit data to ground stations in New Mexico and Guam.