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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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