Launch Date Up in the Air for NASA’s Damaged Satellite

NASA’s TDRS-M satellite arrives inside its shipping container at Space Coast Regional Airport in Titusville, Florida. Photo: NASA.

A communications satellite developed by NASA was damaged last Friday at Astrotech Space Operations in Titusville, Florida. According to NASA, the incident involved the satellite’s Omni S-band antenna and occurred during final spacecraft closeout activities on the Tracking Data Relay Satellite Mission (TDRS-M).

Although they have not released any additional information, NASA and manufacturer Boeing are currently assessing flight acceptance to determine whether the satellite will launch as scheduled. NASA originally planned to launch the satellite on Aug. 3 aboard an Atlas 5 rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.

NASA’s Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System enables satcom services for NASA spacecraft, including the International Space Station and ground control stations on Earth. According to NASA, the addition of this newest satellite allows the network to support space communications for an additional 15 years.