The first of NASA’s three next-generation Tracking and Data Relay Satellites (TDRS), known as TDRS-K, launched Wednesday from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla., according to an agency statement.
TDRS-K was lifted into orbit aboard a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket from Space Launch Complex-41. After a three-month test phase, NASA will accept the spacecraft for additional evaluation before putting the satellite into service.
The next TDRS spacecraft, TDRS-L, is scheduled for launch in 2014 while TDRS-M’s manufacturing process will be completed in 2015.
The TDRS system provides tracking, telemetry, command and high-bandwidth data return services for numerous science and human exploration missions orbiting earth, including the International Space Station (ISS) and NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope.
The TDRS-K spacecraft includes several modifications from older satellites in the TDRS system, including redesigned telecommunications payload electronics and a high-performance solar panel designed for more spacecraft power to meet growing S-band requirements. Another significant design change, the return to ground-based processing of data, will allow the system to service more customers with evolving communication requirements.
ULA is a joint venture of Boeing [BA] and Lockheed Martin [LMT].