List of TDRS satellites

This is a list of Tracking and Data Relay Satellites. TDRS spacecraft are all in geostationary orbit and are operated by the United States National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and are used for communication between NASA facilities and spacecraft,^[1] including the Space Shuttle, Hubble Space Telescope, and International Space Station.

Location of TDRS as of 26 May 2020

Location of TDRS as of March 2019

As of August 2025^[update], 7 out of 12 TDRS satellites launched were operational, two (TDRS-3, TDRS-5) had been placed in storage, three (TDRS-1, TDRS-4 and TDRS-9) had been retired, and one (TDRS-B) had been lost in a launch failure.^[2][3][4]

Satellites

Generation	Designation		Launch, UTC	Launch vehicle	Launch site	Longitude	Status	Retirement	Remarks
	Launch	Operational
First	TDRS-A	TDRS-1	4 April 1983 18:30:00[5]	Space Shuttle Challenger/IUS (STS-6)[6]	Kennedy, LC-39A	41° W, 62° W, 171° W	Retired[4]	27 June 2010[7]	IUS malfunctioned, raised orbit using maneuvering thrusters. End of life October 2009.[8] Placed in a graveyard orbit on 27 June 2010.[4]
	TDRS-B	N/A	28 January 1986 16:38:00[5]	Space Shuttle Challenger/IUS (STS-51-L)	Kennedy, LC-39B	N/A	Destroyed	28 January 1986 16:39:13	Launch failure Shuttle disintegrated during ascent
	TDRS-C	TDRS-3	29 September 1988 15:37:00[5]	Space Shuttle Discovery/IUS (STS-26R)[6]	Kennedy, LC-39B	62° W[4]	In storage[4]	December 2011[9]
	TDRS-D	TDRS-4	13 March 1989 14:57:00[5]	Space Shuttle Discovery/IUS (STS-29R)[6]	Kennedy, LC-39B		Retired[4]	April/May 2012[10]	Placed in a graveyard orbit.[4]
	TDRS-E	TDRS-5	2 August 1991 15:02:00[5]	Space Shuttle Atlantis/IUS (STS-43)[6]	Kennedy, LC-39A	167° W[4]	In storage[4]
	TDRS-F	TDRS-6	13 January 1993 13:59:30[5]	Space Shuttle Endeavour/IUS (STS-54)[6]	Kennedy, LC-39B	46° W[4]	Active[4]
	TDRS-G	TDRS-7	13 July 1995 13:41:55[5]	Space Shuttle Discovery/IUS (STS-70)	Kennedy, LC-39B	85° E[4]	Active[4]		Replaced TDRS-B
Second	TDRS-H	TDRS-8	30 June 2000 12:56[5]	Atlas IIA	Canaveral, SLC-36A	89° E[4]	Active[4]
	TDRS-I	TDRS-9	8 March 2002 22:59[5]	Atlas IIA	Canaveral, SLC-36A	12° W[4]	Retired[4]	5 January 2023[11]
	TDRS-J	TDRS-10	5 December 2002 02:42[5]	Atlas IIA	Canaveral, SLC-36A	171° W[12]	Active[4]
Third	TDRS-K	TDRS-11	31 January 2013 01:48:00	V 401	Canaveral, SLC-41	174° W[12]	Active[4]		USD$350 million cost, paid to Boeing under a firm-fixed price (FFP) contract.[13]
	TDRS-L	TDRS-12	24 January 2014 02:33:00[14]	Atlas V 401	Canaveral, SLC-41	41° W[4]	Active[4]		USD$350 million cost, FFP contract.[13]
	TDRS-M	TDRS-13	18 August 2017 12:29:00 [15]	Atlas V 401[15]	Canaveral, SLC-41[15]	49° W	Active		USD$289 million firm-fixed-price contract option with Boeing; option exercised in November 2011, ahead of expiry on 30 November 2012.[13]
	TDRS-N						Cancelled		Option not exercised[16][17]

Gallery

Animation of TDRS-8 - TDRS-13

Oblique view

Oblique view - Earth fixed frame

   Earth ·   TDRS-8  ·   TDRS-9  ·   TDRS-10  ·   TDRS-11  ·   TDRS-12  ·   TDRS-13