TDRS-8
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (January 2014) |
 TDRS-H undergoing processing before launch | |
| Mission type | Communication |
|---|---|
| Operator | NASA |
| COSPAR ID | 2000-034A |
| SATCAT no. | 26388 |
| Mission duration | Planned: 11 years Elapsed: 23 years, 9 months, 27 days |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Bus | BSS-601 |
| Manufacturer | Boeing |
| Launch mass | 3197 kg |
| Dimensions | 21.0 metres long 13.1 metres wide |
| Power | 2300 watts |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | 30 June 2000, 12:56:00 Cape Canaveral, LC-36A |
| Contractor | ILS |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Reference system | Geocentric orbit |
| Regime | Geostationary orbit |
| Longitude | 171.0° West (2000-?) 270.8° West |
| Epoch | 1 July 2000 |
| |
TDRS-8, known before launch as TDRS-H, is an American communications satellite, of second generation, which is operated by NASA as part of the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System. It was constructed by Boeing and is based on the BSS-601 satellite bus.
Launch
Its launch was contracted by
Cape Canaveral Air Force Station
.
It was the first
Tracking and Data Relay Satellite, of second generation, to be launched. Due to a malfunction of the multiple-access phased array antenna the spacecraft did not provide the expected level of performance for eighteen of the communications services that it was to provide. The same problem was found and corrected on the TDRS-9 and TDRS-10
satellites prior to their launches.
Orbit
Following its launch, it raised itself into
apogee motor, and was positioned at 150.0° West for on-orbit testing. After testing was complete, it was moved to 171.0° West from where it provides communications services to spacecraft in Earth orbit, including the Space Shuttle and International Space Station
.
See also
External links
- Krebs, Gunter. "TDRS-8, 9, 10". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 3 May 2009.
- McDowell, Jonathan (29 May 2000). "Issue 427". Jonathan's Space Report. Archived from the original on 6 December 2012. Retrieved 3 May 2009.
- "TDRS-8". Failures. Sat-ND. Retrieved 3 May 2009.
- "Communications Satellite Serves Space Projects". Advanced Technologies, Volume 8 Number 5. NASA Aerospace Technology Innovation. September 2000. Archived from the original on 31 October 2004. Retrieved 3 May 2009.
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| Second generation | ||
| Third generation | ||
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