Music
Thirty years ago, NASA launched
into a new era of high bandwidth, continuous
space communication with the Tracking and Data Relay
Satellite, TDRS...
Music
Today, NASA is
continuing this legacy by launching the first of the next generation of
satellites, TDRS-K. (countdown 10, 9 ..)
At Cape Canaveral, the TDRS-K spacecraft sits (countdown 8, 7, 6 ...)
atop an Atlas 5 rocket ready for launch... (countdown 5. 4. 3 ...)
(countdown 2, 1, and)
(countdown LIFT OFF! of the Atlas 5 rocket carrying)
(the next generation of Tracking and Data Relay)
(Satellites - TDRS-K) 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-K spacecraft.
After boosting the spacecraft
to geosynchronous transfer orbit, 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-K
completes this deployment sequence, its now ready for
a 3 month period of testing calibration before being placed
into service. With this addition of
TDRS-K and the upcoming launches of
TDRS-L and M, NASA has
assured the future of continuous Space to Ground
Communication.
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