Jason Rhian

July 16th, 2017

An incident with NASAs TDRS-M occurred during closeout activities on Friday, July 14. Photo Credit: Vikash Mahadeo / SpaceFlight Insider

TITUSVILLE, Fla. During closeout activities for the final third-generation Tracking and Data Relay Satellite (TDRS-M), an incident occurred to the spacecrafts Omni S-band antenna. This occurred on Friday, July 14, about two-and-a-half weeks prior to the satellites scheduled launch.

Both NASA and the satellites manufacturer, Boeing, are reviewing what happened at theAstrotech Space Operations building in Titusville, Florida, where the satellite was being readied for flight.

TDRS-M, which will be renamed TDRS-13 upon reaching orbit, was set to launch atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas V 401 rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Stations Space Launch Complex 41 in Florida on August 3.

At present, it is unclear if this incident will impact the planned launch date with a recent statement on NASAs TDRS-M Status Update page noting: The mission team is developing a plan to assess flight acceptance and the schedule forward.

Tagged: Boeing Lead Stories NASA TDRS-M Urgent

Jason Rhian spent several years honing his skills with internships at NASA, the National Space Society and other organizations. He has provided content for outlets such as: Aviation Week & Space Technology, Space.com, The Mars Society and Universe Today.

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TDRS-M spacecraft damaged during closeout activities - SpaceFlight Insider