WEBVTT FILE
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♪
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♪
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In the late 1970’s, satellites,
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such as the NIMBUS-7 satellite,
relied on NASA’s ground
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stations located around the
world to provide a communication
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network.
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This ground-based network could
only provide communication over
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15 percent of the satellite’s
orbit.
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♪
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With its ever-expanding orbiting
fleet of satellites and manned
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space flights NASA had to
increase the coverage and
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develop an improved way to
track and communicate.
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In 1983, NASA launched the
first of a series of new
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communication and navigation
satellites that would rely less
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on international ground stations
and provide continuous coverage.
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Tracking and Data Relay
Satellites (TDRS) are a network
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of geosynchronous communication
satellites that work in
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conjunction with two
ground stations.
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♪
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♪Rim Shot♪
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♪Snare Drum♪
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Today, NASA’s fleet of
spacecraft and launch vehicles,
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like the Tropical Rainfall
Measuring Mission (TRMM)
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can communicate and navigate
with the help of TDRS.
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This interaction between TDRS
and the spacecraft is a series
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of complicated signals that
guaranties that every Earth
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orbiting spacecraft will have
nearly non-stop coverage.
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♪
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The International Space Station
(ISS) routes voice and
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video communications along with
data through the TDRS fleet.
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The Hubble Space Telescope also
utilizes the full capabilities
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of TDRS. TDRS supports the
Hubble’s real-time interactions
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with the ground systems
allowing observers to make
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small adjustments to
its observatory system.
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♪
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TDRS provides the Earth
Observing System of satellites,
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such as the Aura spacecraft,
with low latency data relay and
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navigation data.
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The TDRS network sends all of
these data streams and voice
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communications to White Sands
Complex in New Mexico or the
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Guam Remote Ground Terminal.
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Guam then transmits the data
it receives to White Sands.
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The White Sands Complex then
relays it to the end user at
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their mission’s operations
centers.
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As long as there’s space
exploration, TDRS will be
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working side by side with
spacecraft and end-user,
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providing continuous connectivity
for navigation, data and voice
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communications.
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♪
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♪