National Air and Space Museum Archives

Tracking and Data Relay Satellites System (TDRSS) Documentation

Summary

Collection ID:
NASM.2002.0046
Creators:
Contel Federal Systems, Fairfax, VA
Dates:
1976-1979
Languages:
English
.
Physical Description:
0.9 Cubic feet
(2 letter document boxes, 1 slim letter document box)
Repository:

Scope and Contents

Scope and Contents
This collection contains TDRSS documentation from the years 1976 through 1979. Materials include: a Pricing Manual, a Program Acronym List, Program Space Segment Specifications, a Baseline Report, Project Plans, a Proposal Kickoff Package, the Proposal Preparation, a Test Plan, the Review Boards Notebook, a Shuttle User Draft, Contracts, a System Design Report, Performance Specifications, a Statement of Work, and Flow Diagrams.

Biographical / Historical

Biographical / Historical
Tracking and Data Relay Satellites (TDRS) are the largest, most advanced privately developed communications satellites. TDRS provide global coverage of Earth-orbiting spacecraft. In the past, spacecraft could communicate with Earth only when they were in sight of a ground tracking station, typically less than one fifth of the time. The TDRS system enables spacecraft to communicate with Earth for about 85 to 100 percent of the orbit by having a system of orbiting telecommunication satellites operated from a single ground terminal link. The first TDRS was launched from Kennedy Space Center on April 4, 1983. TDRS is owned and operated by the Technical Services Division of Contel Federal Systems, Fairfax, VA. However, its services are being leased to NASA for a ten-year period.

Administration

Immediate Source of Acquisition
Daniel K. Elliot, Gift, 2002

Using the Collection

Conditions Governing Access
No restrictions on access.
Preferred Citation
Tracking and Data Relay Satellites System (TDRSS) Documentation, Accession 2002-0046, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution.
Conditions Governing Use
Material is subject to Smithsonian Terms of Use. Should you wish to use NASM material in any medium, please submit an Application for Permission to Reproduce NASM Material, available at Permissions Requests

Keywords

Keywords table of terms and types.
Keyword Terms Keyword Types
Tracking and Data Relay Satellites System (TDRSS) Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Artificial satellites Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Astronautics Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Space vehicles Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Communications equipment Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Lists Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Specifications Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Reports Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Diagrams Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
United States. National Aeronautics and Space Administration Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid

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