♪
Thirty years ago, NASA launched into a new era of high
bandwidth, space communication with the Tracking and Data Relay
Satellite, TDRS...
♪
Today, NASA is continuing this legacy by launching the next
generation of satellites.
(countdown 10, 9 ...)
At Cape Canaveral, the TDRS spacecraft (countdown 8, 7, 6 ...)
sits atop an Atlas 5 rocket ready for launch... (countdown 5. 4. 3 ...)
(countdown 2, 1, and)
(LIFT OFF! of the Atlas 5 rocket carrying)
(the next generation of Tracking and Data Relay Satellites)
♪
After a 4-minute burn the Atlas 5 main engine separates from the
Centaur engine, and drops back to Earth.
♪
Shortly after separation of the main engine, the protective
shield that covers the payload, called the fairing, separates to
reveal the TDRS spacecraft.
♪
After boosting the spacecraft to geosynchronous transferorbit,
the TDRS spacecraft separates from the Centaur engine.
♪
Shortly after this separation, the two folded Single Access
antenna reflectors are released to take their natural parabolic
shape.
Over the next 11 days, through a series of engine firings
the TDRS on board rocket guides the spacecraft to its final
location in geosynchronous orbit.
♪
Once arriving at this orbit, the spacecraft starts its deployment
sequence by unfolding the first solar array.
Next, the two single access antennas are deployed and
locked into position.
These antennas are designed to track and communicate with
low-Earth orbit satellites.
After the single access antennas are secured into place, the
second solar array starts to unfold
♪
and the SGL and Omni antennas are deployed.
♪
Once TDRS completes this deployment sequence, its
now ready for a three month period of testing calibration
before being placed into service.
♪
With this addition of TDRS-L and the upcoming TDRS-M,
NASA has assured the future of continuous Space to
Ground Communication.
♪
Beep
♪