TDRS-M
TDRS-M, to be renamed TDRS-13 upon entry into service, is an American communications satellite operated by NASA as part of the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System. The thirteenth Tracking and Data Relay Satellite, it is the third and final third-generation spacecraft to be launched, following the 2015 launch of TDRS-L.
Spacecraft
TDRS-M is being constructed by Boeing, based on the BSS-601HP satellite bus. Fully fueled, it will have a mass of 3,454 kg (7,615 lb), with a design life of 15 years.[1] It carries two steerable antennae capable of providing S, Ku and Ka band communications for other spacecraft, with an additional array of S-band transponders for lower-rate communications with five further satellites.[2] The satellite is powered by two solar arrays, which produce 2.8 to 3.2 kilowatts of power, while an R-4D-11-300 engine is present to provide propulsion.[1]
Launch
In 2015, NASA contracted with United Launch Alliance to launch TDRS-M on an Atlas V 401 for $132.4 million. Launch is scheduled for October 2017 from Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.[3]
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