
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Spewing fire and smoke behind it, the Lockheed Martin Atlas IIA rocket lifts off from Launch Pad 36-A, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, with the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite-I (TDRS-1) aboard. TDRS-I replenishes the existing on-orbit fleet of six spacecraft. The TDRS System is the primary source of space-to-ground voice, data and telemetry for the Space Shuttle. It also provides communications with the International Space Station and scientific spacecraft in low-Earth orbit such as the Hubble Space Telescope. This new advanced series of satellites will extend the availability of TDRS communications services until about 2017. Liftoff occurred at 5:59 p.m. EST
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NASA ID
KSC-02pp0261
Date Created
March 8, 2002
Center
KSC
Media Type
image
Location
Kennedy Space Center, FL
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