Geostationary
TDRS 5
Data Relay · NASA
Right now
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Part of NASA's first-generation TDRS fleet, TDRS-5 has outlasted its designed lifespan by decades. It relays science data from orbiting observatories, crew voice calls from the ISS, and high-definition video from spacewalks to mission control in real time. The TDRS system made it possible for the world to watch space shuttle missions and ISS repairs live on television.
Its orbit
- Orbit
- Geostationaryappears to hang motionless over one spot on the equator
- Altitude
- 22,220–22,266 mi (35,759–35,833 km)
- Inclination
- 14.1°
- One orbit
- 23.9 hoursabout one orbit a day
- NORAD ID
- 21639
- Int’l designator
- 1991-054B
- Launched
- 1991
Orbital elements from CelesTrak, as of 22 Sep 2026.
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