Final answer:
CAPCOM is significant for its role in ensuring communication between astronauts in space and Mission Control, vital for any mission's success. The Apollo 11 mission highlighted this role, with CAPCOM being crucial during the Moon landing.
Step-by-step explanation:
CAPCOM is significant because it refers to the role of Capsule Communicator within NASA missions, the individual responsible for communicating directly with astronauts during a spaceflight. For example, during the famous Apollo 11 mission, CAPCOM played a pivotal role. It was astronaut Michael Collins who served as CAPCOM during the Moon landing phase, relaying information and updates between the crew on the lunar surface and Mission Control.
The role of CAPCOM is critical for mission success, providing real-time communication and decision-making support, especially during complex maneuvers and unexpected situations. This can be seen in other missions as well, such as the Mars Climate Orbiter, where communication issues contributed to the mission's failure; proper communication from a CAPCOM could potentially have caught the error that led to the loss of the spacecraft.