KSC-2012-6194

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- The first stage of the Atlas V rocket that will carry the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite, TDRS-K, into orbit is being transported to the hangar at the Atlas Spaceflight Operations Center at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida to begin processing. Launch of the TDRS-K on the Atlas V rocket is planned for January 2013 from Space Launch Complex 41. The TDRS-K spacecraft is part of the next-generation series in the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System, a constellation of space-based communication satellites providing tracking, telemetry, command and high-bandwidth data return services. For more information, visit http://tdrs.gsfc.nasa.gov/ Photo credit: NASA/Charisse Nahser