| TDRS-7 | |
| Mission Type: | Communication |
| Operator: | NASA |
| Cospar Id: | 1995-035B |
| Satcat: | 23613 |
| Mission Duration: | Planned: 10 years Elapsed: |
| Spacecraft Bus: | TDRS |
| Manufacturer: | TRW |
| Launch Mass: | [1] |
| Dimensions: | long wide |
| Power: | 1700 watts |
| Launch Date: | UTC |
| Launch Site: | Kennedy Space Center, LC-39B |
| Launch Contractor: | Rockwell International |
| Orbit Epoch: | 14 July 1995 [2] |
| Orbit Reference: | Geocentric orbit |
| Orbit Regime: | Geostationary orbit |
| Orbit Longitude: | 150.0° West (1995–1996) 171.0° West (1996–2003) 150.5° West (2003–) |
| Apsis: | gee |
TDRS-7, known before launch as TDRS-G, is an American communications satellite, of first generation, which is operated by NASA as part of the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System. It was constructed by TRW as a replacement for TDRS-B, which had been lost in the Challenger accident, and was the last first generation TDRS satellite to be launched.
TDRS-7 is based on a custom satellite bus which was used for all seven first generation TDRS satellites.[3] Whilst similar to its predecessors, it differed from them slightly in that twelve G/H band (C band (IEEE)) transponders which had been included on the previous satellites were omitted.[4] It was the last communications satellite, other than amateur radio spacecraft, to be deployed by a Space Shuttle.
The TDRS-G satellite was deployed from during the STS-70 mission in 1995. Discovery was launched from Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39B at 13:41:55 UTC on 13 July 1995.[5] TDRS-G was deployed from Discovery around six hours after launch, and was raised to geosynchronous orbit by means of an Inertial Upper Stage.[5]
The twin-stage solid-propellent Inertial Upper Stage made two burns. The first stage burn occurred around an hour after deployment from Discovery, and placed the satellite into a geosynchronous transfer orbit. At 02:30 UTC on 14 July 1995 it reached apogee, and the second stage fired, placing TDRS-G into geostationary orbit.[6] At this point, it received its operational designation, TDRS-7. It was placed at a longitude 150.0° West of the Greenwich Meridian, where it underwent on-orbit testing. In May 1996, it was moved to 171.0° West where it was stored as an in-orbit spare, and subsequently entered service.[7] In December 2003, it was relocated to 150.5° West.[8] It arrived the next month, and was returned to storage as a reserve satellite.