NASA communications satellite streaks to space

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — After a picturesque Thursday night launch from Cape Canaveral, aNASA communications satellite was on its way to joining a constellation the agency calls a "national asset" and "critical lifeline."

The newest Tracking and Data Relay Satellite thundered from its pad atop an Atlas V rocket at 9:33 p.m., after launch teams overcame a telemetry problem that delayed the launch 28 minutes.

The 192-foot United Launch Alliance rocket rose in a blinding streak and could be seen clearly as the first stage fell away and the second stage engine lit four minutes into flight, appearing like a star.

The satellite called TDRS-L was due to be deployed nearly two hours after liftoff, bound for an orbit 22,300 miles high.

The Boeing-built spacecraft is the second of three designed to upgrade and extend the life of a system NASA has relied upon since the 1980s to stay in 24-7 contact with human and robotic missions in low Earth orbit.

The service is especially important for human spaceflight missions, previously the shuttle and now the International Space Station and its six-person crew.

Without the TDRS constellation, which uses six satellites at any given time, NASA would be limited to ground stations scattered around the globe with spotty access to the spacecraft and crews.

"No human spaceflight program can be supported at that data rate," said Badri Younes, head of the Space Communications and Navigation division at NASA headquarters. "Our ability to respond in real time to emergencies (would) diminish drastically."

The satellites also relay findings to ground stations in New Mexico and Guam from the Hubble Space Telescope and numerous other science and weather satellites.

TDRS-L will likely be stored in orbit for several years before entering service. It cost a combined $715 million along with its predecessor launched a year ago, TDRS-K, and modifications to ground stations.

The launch was ULA's first of the year and first of 10 the company plans from Cape Canaveral in 2014.