TDRS (Tracking and Data Relay Satellites)

The Tracking and Data Relay Satellites (TDRS) are a network of orbiting satellites that serve as a communication relay for NASA's spacecraft, including the Space Shuttle, Hubble Space Telescope, and missions beyond Earth. Positioned in geostationary orbit, they provide continuous, high-speed data links by transmitting signals between spacecraft and ground stations on Earth. This system allows real-time communication, navigation, and data transfer, ensuring mission control can monitor and operate spacecraft effectively regardless of their position relative to Earth, thus enabling complex space missions with reliable and persistent connectivity.