Tracking and Data Relay Satellite Launch Lights Up the
Night Sky
A United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket lights up the night sky over Space
Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida as it carries
NASA's Tracking and Data Relay Satellite, or TDRS-L, to Earth orbit. Launch was
at 9:33 p.m. EST on Thursday, Jan. 23 during a 40-minute launch window.
The TDRS-L spacecraft is the second of three new satellites designed to
ensure vital operational continuity for NASA by expanding the lifespan of the
Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System (TDRSS) fleet, which consists of eight
satellites in geosynchronous orbit. The spacecraft provide tracking, telemetry,
command and high-bandwidth data return services for numerous science and human
exploration missions orbiting Earth. These include NASA's Hubble Space Telescope
and the International Space Station. TDRS-L has a high-performance solar panel
designed for more spacecraft power to meet the growing S-band communications
requirements. TDRSS is one of three NASA Space Communications and Navigation
(SCaN) networks providing space communications to NASA’s missions.
Image Credit: NASA/Dan
Casper
NASA
Guillermo Gonzalo S´qnchez Achutegui
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