NASA Ames Research Center
Santa Clara, California
How we verified this
As of August 2026 the RadioReference entry for the NASA Ames Research Center trunked system at Moffett Field carries the system note "All talkgroups are encrypted," and every listed talkgroup including Security is flagged encrypted.
Encryption Details
Verified Talkgroup Data
Santa Clara County Context
NASA Ames Research Center isn't an outlier here: 14 of the 22 public-safety agencies we track in Santa Clara County are fully encrypted (64%), so most departments nearby have made the same move.
See every agency we track in Santa Clara County → County encryption overview →
What This Means
Every channel this agency runs, including day-to-day dispatch, is encrypted. That shuts out the public and local reporters, and it can complicate coordination with nearby agencies that still expect to hear it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is NASA Ames Research Center radio encrypted?
Yes — NASA Ames Research Center's radio system runs on P25 AES-256 encryption. Every channel this agency runs, including day-to-day dispatch, is encrypted. That shuts out the public and local reporters, and it can complicate coordination with nearby agencies that still expect to hear it.
Can I listen to NASA Ames Research Center on a police scanner?
No. NASA Ames Research Center has fully encrypted their radio communications using P25 AES-256. No consumer scanner can decode encrypted transmissions.
Why did NASA Ames Research Center encrypt their radio?
Departments typically point to officer safety and operational security. Neither claim tends to come with evidence specific to Santa Clara County; what's verifiable is what's lost — journalists can't monitor other agency activity in real time, and coordination with agencies that stay unencrypted gets harder.
Can Santa Clara County reverse the encryption decision?
Yes, and some departments already have. Because encryption here is a choice rather than a technical necessity, the path back runs through the same people who chose it: budget hearings, records requests, and residents who keep asking in public.
What can I do about NASA Ames Research Center encryption?
Contact the officials who oversee NASA Ames Research Center's budget directly and ask why full encryption was chosen over partial alternatives. Pair that with a FOIA request for recordings and policy records, and look for an existing coalition in Santa Clara County, or start one, since agencies respond differently to organized, sustained pressure than to individual complaints.