Tracking & Data Relay Satellite

Author(s): DaveBowman2001 toutatis gironde

Release date:

The U.S. Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System (TDRSS) is a network of American communications satellites used by NASA since 1983. The system replaced the old Manned Spaceflight Network (MSN), a series of ground stations and ships that supported all manned space missions from Mercury to Apollo

NOTES:

  • Requires the Space Shuttle addon to view satellites TDRS-1 to 7
  • For this reason, seven shuttle missions will be modified, namely STS-6, STS-26, STS-29, STS-43, STS-54, and STS-70
  • There are a total of 13 satellites launched, 9 are currently active
  • TDRS-2 is not available as it was destroyed during the 1986 Challenger disaster

Tracking & Data Relay Satellites
(1983-Present)
Mission Start End
First generation, 1983-1995
TDRS-1 1983-Apr-42010-Jun-27
TDRS-2 1986-Jan-28
Destroyed during the Challenger disaster
TDRS-3 1988-Sept-29(Active)
Put into storage mode starting in 2014
TDRS-4 1989-Mar-132012-May
TDRS-5 1991-Aug-2(Active)
TDRS-6 1993-Jan-13(Active)
TDRS-7 1995-Jul-13(Active)
Second generation, 2000-2002
TDRS-8 2000-Jun-30(Active)
TDRS-9 2002-Mar-8(Active)
TDRS-10 2002-Dec-5(Active)
Third generation, 2013-2017
TDRS-11 2013-Jan-31(Active)
TDRS-12 2014-Jan-24(Active)
TDRS-13 2017-Aug-18(Active)

Flight hardware for the six first-generation TDRS satellites

Flight hardware for the 2nd (above) and 3rd generation (below) TDRS satellites

Open in Celestia (Recommended) or Download

How to install add-ons? Find out here.