TDRS 11

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TDRS 11 is classified as:

NORAD ID: 39070

Int'l Code: 2013-004A

Launch date: January 31, 2013
Source: United States (US)
Launch site: AIR FORCE EASTERN TEST RANGE (AFETR)

TDRS K (Tracking and Data Relay Satellite K) is the third generation of NASA's tracking stations placed on a geostationary orbit about 22,300 miles (35,888 km) over the Pacific Ocean. The satellite stood 26 feet (7.9 m) tall and weighed over 7,600 pounds (3,447 kg) at launch, including 3,700 pounds (1,678 kg) of maneuvering fuel loaded inside the craft. Once fully deployed in space, TDRS K's solar wings will stretch 69 feet (21.0 m) tip-to-tip to generate 3,220 watts of power and charge internal nickel-hydrogen batteries. The primary physical feature of the satellite is two 15-foot(4.6-m)-diameter flexible graphite mesh antenna dishes that are folded like taco shells for launch, then spring into shape once released in orbit. They offer gimbal tracking of targeted spacecraft flying beneath the satellite, providing high-gain communications to the station, Hubble and other craft for vital contacts and data dumps. S-band, Ka-band and Ku-band are the frequencies supported through the TDRS network. Boeing designed, developed and tested the spacecraft in El Segundo, Calif., and NASA provided the launch.