(abstract) Communications in Space

This paper provides an overview of the results of the JPL/NASA unmanned exploration of all of the planets of the solar system (except Pluto) as well as the telecommunications capability which was developed to enable/support those missions. The telecommunications link improvements will be described to show increases in data rate capability resulting from addition of ground antenna aperture, transmitter power, coding techniques, lower noise receivers, etc. The paper will also describe (briefly), the current and future flight missions.