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{{outdated|date=June 2024}}
{{Short description|American communications satellite}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2014}}
{{Redirect|TDRS|the record label|Travis Dickerson}}
{{broader|Inter-satellite radiocommunication satellite}}
[[File:Map of TDRS.png|400px|thumb|Location of TDRS as of March 2019]]
[[File:TDRS Heart of Communication.ogv|thumb|The launch of TDRS-K begins the replenishment of the fleet through the development and deployment of the next generation spacecraft.]]
[[File:Tracking Data Relay Satellite (TDRS) Orbital Fleet Communicating with User Spacecraft.ogg|thumb|This visualization begins by showing how a typical spacecraft (NIMBUS-7) communicated with the ground before TDRS.]]
[[File:Tracking Data Relay Satellite (TDRS) Orbital Fleet Communicating with User Spacecraft 2017 - 360 video.webm|thumb|Visualization depicting TDRS satellites communicating with customer satellites.]]
A '''tracking and data relay satellite''' ('''TDRS''') is a type of [[communications satellite]] that forms part of the [[TDRSS|Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System]] (TDRSS) used by [[NASA]] and other United States government agencies for communications to and from independent "User Platforms" such as [[satellites]], balloons, aircraft, the [[International Space Station]], and remote bases like the [[Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station]]. This system was designed to replace an existing worldwide network of ground stations that had supported all of NASA's [[Human space flight|
The first seven TDRSS satellites were built by the [[TRW Inc.|TRW]] corporation. The three later versions have been manufactured by the [[Boeing]] corporation's [[Boeing Satellite Systems|Satellite Systems]] division. Thirteen satellites have been launched; however, one was destroyed in the [[Challenger disaster]]. TDRS-1 was decommissioned in October 2009.<ref name=T1decomm>{{cite web|url=http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0910/13tdrs/ |title=Breaking News | NASA retires 'queen' of tracking satellite fleet |publisher=Spaceflight Now |access-date=February 5, 2014}}</ref> TDRS-4 was decommissioned in December 2011. Ten TDRSS satellites are currently in service.<ref name="spacecomm">{{cite web|url=https://www.nasa.gov/directorates/heo/scan/services/networks/tdrs_main|title=Tracking and Data Relay Satellite (TDRS) | NASA|date=Oct 22, 2019|publisher=Spacecomm.nasa.gov|access-date=October 22, 2019}}</ref> All of the TDRSS satellites have been managed by NASA's [[Goddard Space Flight Center]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/news/topstory/2003/0403tdrs20th.html |title=NASA – Top Story – TDRS 20th Anniversary – April 03, 2003 |publisher=Nasa.gov |access-date=February 5, 2014}}</ref> The contract for TDRS versions L & K was awarded to Boeing on December 20, 2007.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/ousiv/idUSN2019803020071221 |title=Boeing to build NASA tracking, data relay satellites |publisher=Reuters |date=December 20, 2007 |access-date=February 5, 2014}}</ref> On November 30, 2011, NASA announced the decision to order an additional third-generation TDRS satellite, [[TDRS-13|TDRS M]].<ref name=NASA/>
In 2022 NASA announced it would begin to phase out the TDRS system and hand off satellite relay services to commercial providers.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Companies Vie to Build NASA’s Next Communications Network - IEEE Spectrum |url=https://spectrum.ieee.org/nasa-new-network-tdrs |access-date=2024-10-17 |website=spectrum.ieee.org |language=en}}</ref> In 2024 it announced that while TDRS satellites would probably continue to operate for a decade or more, all new orbital missions would communicate through privately-operated satellite networks.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-10-16 |title=NASA to Embrace Commercial Sector, Fly Out Legacy Relay Fleet - NASA |url=https://www.nasa.gov/missions/tdrs/nasa-to-embrace-commercial-sector-fly-out-legacy-relay-fleet/ |access-date=2024-10-17 |language=en-US}}</ref>
==Operations==
The first tracking and data relay satellite was launched in 1983 on the [[Space Shuttle Challenger|Space Shuttle ''Challenger's'']] first flight, [[STS-6]]. The Boeing-built [[Inertial Upper Stage]] that was to take the satellite from Challenger's orbit to its ultimate [[geosynchronous orbit]] suffered a failure that caused it not to deliver the TDRS to the correct orbit. As a result, it was necessary to command the satellite to use its onboard [[Reaction control system|rocket thrusters]] to move it into its correct orbit. This expenditure of fuel reduced its capability to remain in a [[geostationary]] orbit; by late 1997 the orbit had changed to the point that the satellite was able to see the South Pole, and an uplink/downlink station was installed at [[Amundsen–Scott South Pole Station]] in January 1998;<ref name=southpole>{{cite web |url=http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/features/contentHandler.cfm?id=1742 |title=TDRS history |date=April 10, 2009}}</ref> TDRS-1 was an important communication uplink for Antarctic research until 2009.
The second tracking and data relay satellite was destroyed along with ''Challenger'' shortly after launch during the [[STS-51-L]] mission in January 1986. The next five TRW-built TDRSS satellites were successfully launched on other Space Shuttles. Three follow-up Boeing-built satellites were launched by [[Atlas rocket]]s in 2000 and 2002. A NASA Press Release<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2003/apr/HP_news_03130.html |title=NASA – Pioneer NASA Spacecraft Celebrates 20 Years of Service |publisher=Nasa.gov |access-date
<blockquote>"Working solo, TDRS-1 provided more communication coverage, in support of the September 1983 Shuttle mission, than the entire network of NASA tracking stations had provided in all previous Shuttle missions."</blockquote>
The first generation of TDRS are planned to be retired in 2015.<ref name=NASA>{{cite web|url=http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2011/nov/HQ_C11-049_TDRS.html|title=NASA Exercises Contract Option For TDRS-M Satellite Decision Will Retain Hundreds of Jobs |date=November 30, 2011|publisher=NASA|
==TDRSS ground terminals==
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==Design==
[[File:Space Shuttle Discovery at Udvar-Hazy Center.jpg|thumb|A first-generation TDRS satellite on display at the [[Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center]], placed above [[Space Shuttle Discovery|Space Shuttle ''Discovery'']].]]
The communications systems of the TDRSS satellites were designed to support multiple missions at the same time. Each satellite has [[S band]], [[Ku band|K<sub>u</sub> band]] (1st Gen only), and [[Ka band|K<sub>a</sub> band]] (2nd gen only) electronic communication systems hardware that operate at different carrier frequencies and also support various data-rates.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/pdf/97440main_TDRS_fs_9.18.pdf |title= NASA Goddard TDRS Radio Frequency Systems (need Adobe Acrobat Reader)|publisher=Nasa.gov|access-date=February 5, 2014}}</ref> The newer Boeing satellites are able to support more communications than the older TRW-built satellites.
==Different versions of the TDRS ==
: ''Section source: NASA TDRSS official site''<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.spacecomm.nasa.gov/spacecomm/programs/tdrss/default.cfm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090320041300/https://www.spacecomm.nasa.gov/spacecomm/programs/tdrss/default.cfm |url-status=dead |archive-date=March 20, 2009 |title=Tracking and Data Relay Satellite (TDRS) | NASA |publisher=Spacecomm.nasa.gov |date=November 13, 2013 |
* First generation TDRS: models A to G
* Second generation TDRS: models H to J
* Third generation TDRS: models K to M<ref>{{cite web|url=http://space.skyrocket.de/doc_sdat/tdrs-11.htm |title=TDRS 11, 12, 13 (TDRS K, L, M) |publisher=Space.skyrocket.de |access-date
* Launch site: [[Cape Canaveral]], United States
* Launch vehicle: [[Space
* Mass: 2108.0 kg
* Nominal power: 1700.0{{nbsp}}W
{|class="wikitable sortable collapsible"
|-
!colspan=2 |Capability
|1st gen
|2nd gen
|3rd gen
|-
|colspan=2 style="background:#3d4;"|[[Solar panels|Solar Panels]]
|2
|2
|2
|-
|colspan=2 style="background:#f99;"|Single Access Antenna
|2
|2
|2
|-
|style="background:#f99;"|
|[[S band]]
|yes
|yes
|yes
|-
|style="background:#f99;"|
|[[Ku band]]
|yes
|yes
|yes
|-
|style="background:#f99;"|
|[[Ka band]]
|no
|yes
|yes
|-
|colspan=2 style="background:#3d4;"|Multi Access Antenna
|
|
|
|-
|style="background:#3d4;"|
|receive elements
|30
|32
|32
|-
|style="background:#3d4;"|
|transmit elements
|12
|15
|15
|-
|style="background:#3d4;"|
|[[beamforming]]
|
|on-board
|ground
|-
|style="background:#3d4;"|
|[[S band]]
|yes
|yes
|yes
|-
|colspan=2 style="background:#f99;"|Omni Antenna
|
|
|
|-
|style="background:#f99;"|
|[[S band]]
|yes
|yes
|yes
|-
|colspan=2 style="background:#3d4;"|Space-to-ground Antenna
|2.0m
|2.4m
|
|-
|style="background:#3d4;"|
|[[S band]]
|yes
|yes
|yes
|}
=== Launch history ===
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===TDRS background===
:''Source: NASA: TDRS A Satellite''<ref name=tdrsa>{{cite web|url=
TDRS-A was the first of TDRSS multiple satellite tracking system. The system is a concept utilizing communication satellite technology that improves and economizes the satellite tracking and [[telemetry]] operations. The base three [[geosynchronous satellites]] (one a standby) track and receive data from satellites for relay to a ground station. The two primary active satellites are separated in orbit by at least 130 degrees longitude.
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==Gallery==
<gallery mode="packed" heights="200px">
File:1993 s54 TDRS-F.jpg|TDRS is deployed on [[STS-54]] with [[Inertial Upper Stage|IUS booster]].
File:TDRS gen1.jpg|First-generation TDRS.
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==See also==
{{colbegin}}
* [https://esc.gsfc.nasa.gov/projects/ACCESS?tab=tdrs%20fleet TDRS GSFC NASA page]
* [[Space Communications and Navigation Program|SCaN]] Program
* [[European Data Relay System]]
* [[Luch (satellite)]]
* [[Indian Data Relay Satellite System]]
* [[Space Network]]
* [[Deep Space Network]]
* [[Near Earth Network]]
* [[Eastern Range]]
{{commons category|Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System}}
{{Portal|Spaceflight}}
{{colend}}
==References==
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==External links==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20090320041300/https://www.spacecomm.nasa.gov/spacecomm/programs/tdrss/default.cfm NASA's TDRSS program overview page]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20101213165433/http://boeing.com/defense-space/space/bss/factsheets/601/tdrs_hij/tdrs_hij.html Boeing 2nd Generation]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20110629103821/http://www.boeing.com/defense-space/space/bss/factsheets/601/tdrs_kl/tdrs_kl.html Boeing 3rd Generation]
{{TDRS}}
{{GSFC}}
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