 Why do the astronouts have to wait to talk to White Sands?
Once every two hours, the artificial satellite looped completely around the planet, watching what went on below. But as soon as we get within radio range of White Sands, I'll ask them to send up an emergency rocket with an incubator. It will be at least three hours before they can get a ship up here. Major Banes was in the Communications Center a full five minutes before the coastline of California appeared on the curved horizon of the globe beneath them. Each room of the space station was protected by airtight doors and individual heating units; if some accident, such as a really large meteor hit, should release the air from one room, nearby rooms would be safe.
 They have to wait until they are in the right place in orbit to send a signal
 Some of their communication systems are down  They have to wait until they are in the right place in orbit to send a signal  It takes a couple of hours for a signal to get to Earth  They are waiting on a response from the base so they have more information