Author Topic: Starliner flight raises profile of Space Network  (Read 492 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline Elderberry

  • TBR Contributor
  • *****
  • Posts: 24,279
Starliner flight raises profile of Space Network
« on: March 25, 2020, 02:42:48 pm »
Space News by Debra Werner — March 24, 2020

When Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner failed to reach the International Space Station in December, initial reports pegged part of the problem to NASA’s Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System (TDRSS).

Later analysis revealed software issues led to Starliner’s abbreviated test flight. Still, the mission raised the profile of TDRSS and underscored the need for robust communications in low Earth orbit.

Since the 1970s, NASA has updated its Space Network repeatedly to keep up with demand. Seven satellites and four ground stations provide the bulk of communications for more than 40 missions including the International Space Station, NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope and Transiting Exoplanet Satellite Survey.

Some Space Network satellites are more than two decades old. Nevertheless, the Space Network continues to offer reliable global coverage 24-hours a day for missions led by NASA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and other government agencies, said Ted Sobchak, NASA Space Network project manager. The satellites generally have plenty of fuel and when battery power runs low, NASA works with experts to manage it, he added.

More: https://spacenews.com/starliner-flight-raises-profile-of-space-network/