As far as the radio waves part of the spectrum, we can do these adequately from the ground because the atmosphere is basically transparent to our radio waves.

Claude Nicollier (born 2 September 1944 in Vevey Switzerland) is the first astronaut from Switzerland and has flown on four Space Shuttle missions. He took part in two servicing missions to the Hubble Space Telescope (called STS-61 and STS-103). Nicollier retired from ESA in April 2007.