TDRS

Boeing has concluded and delivered to storage the last in a series of satellites developed for Nasa’s tracking and data relay satellite (TDRS) constellation ahead of schedule.

The newly developed TDRS-M satellite is the sixth Boeing-built satellite for Nasa’s TDRS system, providing high-bandwidth communications to spacecraft in low Earth orbit.

TDRS system is currently being used by the programmes that support human space flight, International Space Station, Hubble Space Telescope, Earth Observing System and several launch vehicles.

The system has been designed to replace an existing global network of ground stations that had supported all of Nasa’s manned flight missions and unmanned satellites in low Earth orbits.

Boeing delivered the first three TDRS satellites, TDRS-H, -I and -J, in 2000-2002 and the newly built satellite comes under the second block of Boeing-built TDRS spacecraft.

"Boeing’s advanced TDRS satellites provide Nasa with greater bandwidth at an affordable cost."

The first two satellites of the second block that include TDRS-K and -L were launched in 2013 and 2014, and the newly built TDRS-M is expected to launch aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket next year.

Boeing government satellite systems vice-president Dan Hart said: "Boeing’s advanced TDRS satellites provide Nasa with greater bandwidth at an affordable cost, helping them provide additional capacity for this critical communications relay network.

"We are continuing to invest in technologies that could enable communications for future Nasa near-Earth, moon, Mars and deep space missions."

Image: Artist’s rendering depicts the third-generation tracking and data relay satellite (TDRS). Photo: courtesy of Nasa/Boeing.