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TDRS-3

American communications satellite

TDRS-3

American communications satellite

FieldValue
nameTDRS-3
imageTDRS-C.jpg
image_captionTDRS-C aboard Discovery
mission_typeCommunication
operatorNASA
COSPAR_ID1988-091B
SATCAT19548
mission_durationPlanned: 10 years
Elapsed:
spacecraft_busTDRS
manufacturerTRW
launch_mass2224.9 kg
dimensions17.3 xx
power1700 watts
launch_dateUTC
launch_rocket
STS-26 / IUS
launch_siteKennedy Space Center LC-39B
launch_contractorRockwell International
deactivated
orbit_epoch29 September 1988
orbit_referenceGeocentric orbit
orbit_regimeGeostationary orbit
orbit_longitude151° West (1988)
171° West (1988–1990)
174° West (1990–1991)
62° West (1991–1994)
171° West (1994–1995)
85° East (1995–2009)
49° West (2009–)
apsisgee
programmeTracking and Data Relay Satellite
First-generation
previous_missionTDRS-B
next_missionTDRS-4

Elapsed:

STS-26 / IUS

171° West (1988–1990) 174° West (1990–1991) 62° West (1991–1994) 171° West (1994–1995) 85° East (1995–2009) 49° West (2009–)

First-generation TDRS-3, known before launch as TDRS-C, is a first-generation American communications satellite, which is operated by NASA as part of the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System. It was constructed by TRW and is based on a custom satellite bus, which was used for all seven first-generation TDRS satellites.

Launch

The launch of STS-26, carrying TDRS-C

The TDRS-C satellite was launched aboard during the STS-26 mission in 1988; the first Shuttle flight since the Challenger disaster which had resulted in the loss of the previous TDRS satellite, TDRS-B. Discovery launched from Launch Complex 39B at the Kennedy Space Center at 15:37:00 UTC on 29 September 1988. TDRS-C was deployed from Discovery around six hours after launch, and was raised to geostationary orbit by means of an Inertial Upper Stage.

Deployment

The two-stage solid-propellent Inertial Upper Stage made two burns. The first stage burn occurred shortly after deployment from Discovery, and placed the satellite into a geosynchronous transfer orbit. At 04:30 UTC on 30 September 1988, it reached apogee, and the second stage fired, placing TDRS-C into geosynchronous orbit. At this point it received its operational designation. Although the TDRS-2 designation had not been assigned, TDRS-C was given the designation TDRS-3 as NASA did not want to reuse the designation which had been intended for the STS-51-L payload. It was briefly placed at a longitude 151° West of the Greenwich Meridian, before being moved to 171.0° West before the end of 1988, from where it provided communications services to spacecraft in Earth orbit, including Space Shuttles. In 1990, it was relocated to 174.0° West, and again in 1991 to 62.0° West. In 1994, it returned to 171.0° West. In June 1995, it was moved to 85.0° East, from where it was used primarily for communications with spacecraft such as the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory and the Hubble Space Telescope. In October 2009, as NASA began decommissioning TDRS-1, TDRS-3 was moved to 49.0° West, where it remains in storage as of 2020.

Location of TDRS as of 26 May 2020
Location of TDRS as of 18 March 2019

References

References

  1. McDowell, Jonathan. "SATCAT". Jonathan's Space Pages.
  2. (10 September 2014). "Tracking and Data Relay Satellite (TDRS) Characteristics". NASA.
  3. "NASA – NSSDCA – Spacecraft – Trajectory Details".
  4. Krebs, Gunter. "TDRS 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6". Gunter's Space Page.
  5. McDowell, Jonathan. "Launch Log". Jonathan's Space Page.
  6. (December 1992). "Designation". NASA.
  7. "TDRS 3". TSE.
  8. McDowell, Jonathan. "Index". Jonathan's Space Page.
  9. (1 December 2002). "The TDRS-J satellite". Spaceflight Now.
  10. Clark, Stephen. (13 October 2009). "NASA retires 'queen' of tracking satellite fleet". Spaceflight Now.
  11. (11 February 2014). "Tracking and Data Relay Satellite (TDRS) Fleet". NASA.
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