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Thirty years ago, NASA launched into a new era of high bandwidth, continuous
space communication with the tracking and data relay satellite, TDRS.
Today, NASA's continuing this legacy by launching the next generation of
satellites. At Cape Canaveral, the TDRS spacecraft sits atop an
Atlas V rocket, ready for launch. (Three, two, one and liftoff of the Atlas V
rocket carrying the next generation in tracking and data relay satellites.)
After a four-minute burn, the Atlas V 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 transfer orbit, the TDRS spacecraft separates from the
Centaur engine. Shortly after the separation, the two folded, single axis
antennae reflectors are released to take their natural parabolic shape.
With 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, it's now ready for testing and
calibration before being placed into service.
With this addition of TDRS-M, NASA has assured the future of continuous
space to ground communication.
Beep, Beep, Beep, Beep