Name: TDRS 9 — Atlas IIA
Start: 2002-03-08T22:59:01Z
End: 2002-03-08T22:59:01Z
Location: Launch Complex 36A

Question 1

What rocket is launching TDRS 9?

Accepted Answer

TDRS 9 is launching on the Atlas IIA.

Question 2

Who is launching TDRS 9?

Accepted Answer

TDRS 9 is being launched by Lockheed Martin, a commercial launch provider founded in 1953.

Question 3

Where is TDRS 9 launching from?

Accepted Answer

TDRS 9 is launching from Launch Complex 36A at Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA.

Question 4

What orbit is TDRS 9 heading to?

Accepted Answer

TDRS 9 is heading to Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GSTO).

Question 5

Is the Atlas IIA reusable?

Accepted Answer

No — the Atlas IIA is an expendable launch vehicle.

Question 6

How many times has the Atlas IIA flown?

Accepted Answer

The Atlas IIA has launched 23 times to date, with 23 successful flights.

Question 7

What is the TDRS 9 mission?

Accepted Answer

TDRS-9, known before launch as TDRS-I, is an American communications satellite which is operated by NASA as part of the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System. It was constructed by the Boeing Satellite Development Center, formerly Hughes Space and Communications, and is based on the BSS-601 satellite bus.[3] It was the second Advanced TDRS, or second-generation Tracking and Data Relay Satellite, to be launched.

Question 8

Where is Cape Canaveral Space Force Station?

Accepted Answer

Cape Canaveral Space Force Station sits on Florida's Atlantic coast, on the Eastern Range run by the U.S. Space Force's Space Launch Delta 45. It is the United States' busiest launch site and has been America's gateway to orbit since the 1950s.

Question 9

Which rockets launch from Cape Canaveral?

Accepted Answer

SpaceX flies Falcon 9 from Space Launch Complex 40, and United Launch Alliance flies the Vulcan Centaur (and the retiring Atlas V) from Space Launch Complex 41.

Question 10

Is Cape Canaveral the same as the Kennedy Space Center?

Accepted Answer

No. Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and NASA's Kennedy Space Center are separate, neighbouring sites — Kennedy is on Merritt Island just to the north. Together they make up Florida's 'Space Coast'.

Question 11

Why do rockets launch from Cape Canaveral?

Accepted Answer

Its pads sit on the Eastern Range, letting rockets fly east out over the Atlantic toward the equatorial and geostationary orbits most commercial and national-security payloads need, away from populated land.

Question 12

Can you watch a launch from Cape Canaveral?

Accepted Answer

Yes — the Space Coast is one of the easiest places in the world to watch a launch from public land. Popular free spots include Playalinda Beach, Space View Park in Titusville, and Jetty Park at Port Canaveral.

TDRS 9

Overview

Mission details

Launch Window

Launch Complex 36A

Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA

Frequently asked questions