Atlas V Booster Stacked for TDRS-L
Dec. 13, 2013 -- At Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, the first stage of the
United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket is lifted for stacking in the Vertical
Integration Facility at Launch Complex 41. The vehicle will be used to boost the
Tracking and Data Relay Satellite, or TDRS-L, spacecraft to orbit.
Photo credit: NASA/Charisse Nahser
NASA
NASA Offers News Media Access to TDRS-L Spacecraft Jan.
3
NASA's Tracking and Data Relay Satellite (TDRS)-L will be the focus of a
media opportunity at 10 a.m. EST Friday, Jan. 3, at the Astrotech Space
Operations facility in Titusville, Fla.
Media will be able to view the TDRS-L spacecraft and interview project and
launch program officials from NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt,
Md.; the Launch Services Program at the agency's Kennedy Space Center in
Florida; and United Launch Alliance (ULA).
TDRS-L is scheduled to lift off on a ULA Atlas V 401 rocket from Cape
Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida on Jan. 23 at the opening of a 40-minute
launch window that extends from 9:05 to 9:45 p.m.
The TDRS-L spacecraft is the second of three next-generation satellites
designed to ensure vital operational continuity for NASA by expanding the
lifespan of the fleet, which now consists of eight satellites in geostationary
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.
Full clean room attire must be worn during the media opportunity and will be
furnished. Journalists should not wear perfume, cologne or makeup. Long pants
and closed-toe shoes must be worn. No shorts or skirts will be permitted. Some
camera equipment may be identified by Boeing contamination control specialists
as having to be cleaned before being taken into the high bay facility. Alcohol
wipes will be provided. All camera equipment must be self-contained, and no
portable lights are allowed. Flash photography will not be permitted, however,
the facility has adequate metal halide lighting for pictures. Wireless
microphones also are not permitted inside the high bay.
On Jan. 3, U.S. media may proceed directly to Astrotech, which is located in
the Spaceport Florida Industrial Park, 1515 Chaffee Drive, Titusville. Access
will be available starting at 9:45 a.m., and the event will begin at 10 a.m.
Only media who are United States citizens may attend this event, per
Astrotech rules. A government-issued photo identification, such as a driver's
license or permanently issued NASA media accreditation badge from Kennedy will
be acceptable. In addition, proof of U.S. citizenship also is required, such as
a passport or birth certificate.
Journalists should call Kennedy's media update phone line at 321-867-2525 on
Thursday evening, Jan. 2, to confirm the event still is on schedule.
Boeing Space and Intelligence Systems in El Segundo, Calif., built TDRS-L.
NASA's Space Communications and Navigation Program, part of the Human
Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in
Washington, is responsible for the TDRS network. NASA's Launch Services Program
at Kennedy is responsible for launch management. United Launch Alliance provides
the Atlas V rocket and launch service.
For more information about TDRS-L, visit:
Dewayne Washington
Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.
301-286-0040
dewayne.a.washington@nasa.gov
Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.
301-286-0040
dewayne.a.washington@nasa.gov
Guillermo Gonzalo Sánchez Achutegui
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