Part of the Apollo 11 mission technology included the S-Band Transponder designed by General Dynamics that broadcasted Neil Armstrong uttering the iconically misspoken line, “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.” During the moon landing mission, this communication performed a multitude of functions other than just relaying communications, including tracking the command module or the astronauts’ living quarters.
Development for the Transponder began in 1962, and the new system tracked the Apollo spacecraft and transmitted and received telemetry signals and flight data between ground stations scattered worldwide and the Apollo 11 spaceship. Once reaching 30,000 miles from Earth, it was the only way the astronauts could stay connected. In addition, the transponder provided video and voice communications, mission data, distance, and biomedical information on Armstrong, Collins, and Aldrin.
Today, General Dynamics is developing transponders to transmit with ships advance out in space, including missions to Mars and for the upcoming Orion spacecraft under development by NASA.
