Spaceflight Now | Breaking News | NASA awards Tracking and Data Relay Satellite contract

Spaceflight Now +

		Subscribe to Spaceflight Now Plus for access to our extensive video collections! How do I sign up? Video archive 35 years ago: Apollo 17 Apollo's final lunar voyage is relived in this movie. The film depicts the highlights of Apollo 17's journey to Taurus-Littrow and looks to the future Skylab, Apollo-Soyuz and shuttle programs. Play Harmony's big move The station's new Harmony module is detached from the Unity hub and moved to its permanent location on the Destiny lab. Play Delta 4-Heavy launch The first operational Delta 4-Heavy rocket launches the final Defense Support Program missile warning satellite for the Air Force. Full coverage Columbus readied The European Space Agency's Columbus laboratory module moves to pad 39A and placed aboard shuttle Atlantis for launch. To pad \| Installed Station port moved The station crew uses the robot arm to detach the main shuttle docking port and mount it to the new Harmony module Nov. 12. Play Atlantis rolls out Space shuttle Atlantis rolls from the Vehicle Assembly Building to pad 39A for its December launch with the Columbus module. Play Atlantis goes vertical Atlantis is hoisted upright and maneuvered into position for attachment to the external tank and boosters. Play Become a subscriber More video

NASA awards Tracking and Data Relay Satellite contract
NASA NEWS RELEASE
Posted: December 21, 2007

WASHINGTON - NASA has awarded a contract to Boeing Satellite Systems, Inc. in El Segundo, Calif., for two satellites that will replenish the NASA communication relay network that provides telecommunications links between low Earth orbiting spacecraft and the ground.

Boeing will design, develop, fabricate, integrate, test, ship, provide launch support, conduct in-orbit checkout operations and provide sustaining engineering support for the new Tracking and Data Relay Satellites, known as TDRS-K and TDRS-L. Boeing also will design, assemble, test, install and verify modifications that are necessary to make the ground terminals at NASA's White Sands Complex in New Mexico fully compatible with the new TDRS-K and -L spacecraft design.

This is a fixed price incentive fee contract with a basic period of performance beginning in December 2007 and extending through April 2025, if options are exercised. The contract includes options for two additional spacecraft, TDRS-M and -N. The maximum target value for this contract is $1,224,102,439.

The TDRS-K spacecraft is expected to launch by December 2012, and TDRS-L is expected to launch in 2013. Each satellite has a design life of 15 years.

This contract will extend the lifetime of the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System, which is the primary source of voice, data and telemetry for the Space Shuttle and International Space Station Programs. The system also provides satellite communication and science data relay services for many low Earth orbiting science missions, including the Hubble Space Telescope and Earth Observation System missions. The system also will provide these services for NASA's Constellation Program.

The contract also provides an option to modify an additional Space-to-Ground Link Terminal at White Sands. The government is exercising the option for the terminal at the time this contract is awarded.

The Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System is a national asset that provides critical support to NASA science and human exploration missions as well as support to many other government agencies and commercial organizations. The Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System Project is located at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md.