TDRS historyNASA satellite boasts many communication firsts at the polesPosted April 10, 2009
NASA’s original Tracking and Data Relay Satellite (TDRS-1) launched from the Space Shuttle Challenger in April 1983. TDRS-1 began life by opening a new era in NASA satellite communications. It tracked low Earth-orbiting satellites, enabling NASA to issues commands and receive telemetry through most of their orbit. 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. TDRS-1 firsts include:
Due to increasing orbit inclination, TDRS-1 was the first satellite able to see both Poles. In cooperation with the National Science Foundation (NSF) , an uplink/downlink station for TDRS-1 was installed in January 1998 at South Pole Station . Return to main story: Keeping connected. |