SYSTEM FOR DIRECT COMMUNICATIONS WITH A SPACE CRAFT

An automated communication system for communicatively connecting a caller by means of a telephone to an space craft includes a port for accepting a telephonic call related to a specific space craft from the caller and having a machine readable call management program, the call management program automatically effecting a telephonic communication to at least one selected ground earth station responsive thereto. The ground earth station effects communication with at least one known satellite in an earth orbit responsive to the received communication from the port. And, the satellite retransmits the ground earth station communications to the space craft for reception by a dedicated receiver in the space craft, thereby establishing a telephonic communications link from the caller to the specific space craft. A method and a program for effecting global communications between a ground station, a plurality of global satellite systems and a space craft are included.