Trivia: the space shuttle avoids the blackout by its shape, which allows it to communicate upward to the TDRSS satellites. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Communi

Trivia: the space shuttle avoids the blackout by its shape, which allows it to communicate upward to the TDRSS satellites. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Communications_blackout#Reentry_communications_blackouts http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Communications_blackout#Reentry... "[T]he Shuttle can communicate with a Tracking and Data Relay Satellite during re-entry. This is because the shape of the Shuttle creates a "hole" in the ionized air envelope, at the tail end of the craft, through which it can communicate upwards to a satellite in orbit and thence to a ground station."