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 NASA’s constellation of Tracking

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and Data Relay Satellites 

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TDRS – are the critical link for 

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continuous space communications. 

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But it wasn’t always this way…

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Before TDRS, NASA relied 

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on a web of ground-based tracking and 

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communication stations located around the globe. 

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These ground stations 

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used large antennas to receive early 

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transmissions from space. 

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The different orbits of these spacecraft determined 

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the locations of ground stations, 

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with the majority being centered around the equator. 

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Sometimes even ships and planes 

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that housed antennas were used to fill in holes of 

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coverage between spacecraft and

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user control centers. 

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	During this period, these early spacecraft only 

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had a few moments to transmit their data 

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to each station as it traveled on 

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on its orbit passing from horizon to horizon. 

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In an attempt 

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to increase visibility with the ground, 

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the number of these ground stations

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around the world multiplied. 

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	As time passed these networks evolved and 

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merged but they often suffered from a variety of

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challenges such as regional weather

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and political instability.

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With the advent of the shuttle program, 

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NASA began to see the need for an improved

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solution. 

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The TDRS project was

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established to develop a constellation of satellites

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satellites that would be designed to route data between the

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user spacecraft and the ground

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ground for critical NASA missions in low-Earth orbit.

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The 9 TDRS 

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spacecraft that have been deployed since 

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1983 have transformed the way 

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NASA communicates. 

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Each TDRS spacecraft is placed

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into geosynchronous orbit, 

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giving them a fixed line of sight with

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one of the TDRS ground stations. 

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Today, TDRS spacecraft 

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relay data between Earth-orbiting 

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satellites and the dedicated TDRS ground 

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terminals 24 hours a day

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7 days a week.

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	Three TDRS ground terminals provide 

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a constant connection between the TDRS

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constellation and the User 

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spacecraft’s data processing facilities. 

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Two of these 

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stations are located at the White Sands 

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Complex in New Mexico and the third 

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is located in Guam. 

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	Together, the ground stations and 

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the fleet of TDRS spacecraft, provide 

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100 percent global 

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communication coverage, ensuring 

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that data from dozens of Earth-orbiting 

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missions is delivered on-time, 

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every-time. 

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	TDRS provides a vital service to Earth Science 

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missions studying the evolution of Earth’s 

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climate and researchers postulating 

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about the future of the Earth system. 

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These missions are delivering data

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in real time about Earth events

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and processes vital to human civilization.

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TDRS communicates 

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with launch vehicles as they send missions on 

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their journeys of discovery. 

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TDRS tracks their location as they 

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leave the pad ensuring that engineers

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on the ground know that the vehicle is on the right 

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course and is functioning properly.

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TDRS 

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provides critical voice and video

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support to NASA's human space flight endeavors,

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including ongoing support

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of the International Space Station and it's

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critical resupply vehicles.

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TDRS supports space science missions 

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that investigate the farthest reaches of 

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space, cataloging gamma-ray 

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bursts, the birth of 

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galaxies and the early history of our 

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universe. Through them 

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we can learn new information about the scope 

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and scale of the cosmos. 

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NASA is getting ready to replenish the fleet by 

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adding the first of three new spacecraft 

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to the constellation 

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TDRS K. TDRS L 

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and TDRS M will be

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launched in the coming years and join the 

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constellation ensuring that the 

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critical lifeline of space-to-ground 

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communication support will be available 

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for many years to come. 

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beep, beep, beep, beep

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