1 00:00:08,030 --> 00:00:04,010 Music 2 00:00:08,050 --> 00:00:12,050 In the late 1970’s, satellites, 3 00:00:12,070 --> 00:00:16,070 such as the NIMBUS-7 satellite, relied on NASA’s ground 4 00:00:16,090 --> 00:00:20,090 stations located around the world to provide a communication network. 5 00:00:20,110 --> 00:00:24,110 This ground-based network could only provide communication over 15 6 00:00:24,130 --> 00:00:28,140 percent of the satellite’s orbit. With its ever-expanding 7 00:00:28,160 --> 00:00:32,150 orbiting fleet of satellites and manned space flights NASA had to 8 00:00:32,170 --> 00:00:36,160 increase the coverage and develop an improved way to track and communicate. 9 00:00:36,180 --> 00:00:40,190 In 1983, NASA launched the first of a 10 00:00:40,210 --> 00:00:44,370 series of new communication and navigation satellites that would rely 11 00:00:44,390 --> 00:00:48,410 less on international ground stations and provide continuous coverage. 12 00:00:48,430 --> 00:00:52,440 Tracking and Data Relay Satellites (TDRS) are a network 13 00:00:52,460 --> 00:00:56,470 of geosynchronous communication satellites that work in conjunction with two 14 00:00:56,490 --> 00:01:00,490 ground stations. 15 00:01:00,510 --> 00:01:04,520 Today, NASA’s fleet of spacecraft and 16 00:01:04,540 --> 00:01:08,560 launch vehicles, like the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) 17 00:01:08,580 --> 00:01:12,600 can communicate and navigate with the help of TDRS. 18 00:01:12,620 --> 00:01:16,630 This interaction between TDRS and the spacecraft is a series of complicated signals 19 00:01:16,650 --> 00:01:20,670 that guaranties that every Earth orbiting spacecraft will have nearly non-stop 20 00:01:20,690 --> 00:01:24,730 coverage. 21 00:01:24,750 --> 00:01:28,790 The International Space Station (ISS) routes voice and 22 00:01:28,810 --> 00:01:32,850 video communications along with data through the TDRS fleet. 23 00:01:32,870 --> 00:01:36,890 The Hubble Space Telescope also utilizes the full 24 00:01:36,910 --> 00:01:40,910 capabilities of TDRS. TDRS supports the Hubble’s real-time interactions 25 00:01:40,930 --> 00:01:44,940 with the ground systems allowing observers to make small adjustments to its 26 00:01:44,960 --> 00:01:49,000 observatory system. TDRS provides the Earth 27 00:01:49,020 --> 00:01:53,060 Observing System of satellites, such as the Aura spacecraft, 28 00:01:53,080 --> 00:01:57,080 with low latency data relay and navigation data. The TDRS network sends 29 00:01:57,100 --> 00:02:01,120 all of these data streams and voice communications to either the White Sands 30 00:02:01,140 --> 00:02:05,150 Complex in New Mexico or the Guam Remote Ground Terminal. 31 00:02:05,170 --> 00:02:09,300 Guam then transmits the data it receives to White Sands. 32 00:02:09,320 --> 00:02:13,410 The White Sands Complex then relays it to the end user at their 33 00:02:13,430 --> 00:02:17,460 mission’s operations centers. As long as there’s space 34 00:02:17,480 --> 00:02:21,500 exploration, TDRS will be working side by side with spacecraft and end-user, 35 00:02:21,520 --> 00:02:25,560 providing continuous connectivity for navigation, data 36 00:02:25,580 --> 00:02:29,630 and voice communications. 37 00:02:29,650 --> 00:02:33,700