Space Network ( SN ) is a NASA program that combines space and ground elements to support spacecraft communications in Earth vicinity. The SN Project Office at Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) manages the SN, which consists of:
60-612: Tracking and Data Relay Satellite (TDRS) currently consists of first-generation (F1–F7), and second-generation (F8–F10) satellites. The space segment of the SN consists of up to six operational relay satellites in geosynchronous orbit. These communications satellites are allocated longitudes for relaying forward and return service signals to and from customers, any entity with an Earth-orbiting satellite that has an agreement with SN to use its communications services, for data transfer and tracking. An additional TDRS, F1, provides dedicated support to
120-491: A corporate citizenship program centered on charitable contributions in five areas: education, health, human services , environment , the arts , culture, and civic engagement . In February 2012, Boeing Global Corporate Citizenship partnered with the Insight Labs to develop a new model for foundations to more effectively lead the sectors they serve. The company is a member of the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition ,
180-434: A TDRSS satellite is in the manufacturing process it is given a letter designation, but once it has successfully achieved the correct geosynchronous orbit it is referred to with a number (for example, TDRS-A during development and before on-orbit acceptance, and TDRS-1 after acceptance on orbit and put into operational use). Thus, satellites that are lost in launch failures or have massive malfunctions are never numbered. TDRS-A
240-462: A Washington D.C.–based coalition of more than 400 major companies and NGOs that advocate a larger International Affairs Budget, which funds American diplomatic and development efforts abroad. A series of U.S. diplomatic cables show how U.S. diplomats and senior politicians intervene on behalf of Boeing to help boost the company's sales. In 2007 and 2008, the company benefited from over US$ 10 billion of long-term loan guarantees, helping finance
300-527: A company providing commercial launch services sending satellites to geostationary orbit from floating platforms. In 2000, Boeing acquired the satellite segment of Hughes Electronics . In December 1996, Boeing announced its intention to merge with McDonnell Douglas , which, following regulatory approval, was completed on August 4, 1997. The delay was caused by objections from the European Commission , which ultimately placed three conditions on
360-672: A potential downgrade to junk status . On November 1, 2024, the IAM endorsed an improved contract offer which would see a 38% pay rise over four years, a $ 12,000 ratification bonus, and the reinstatement of an annual bonus scheme. On November 5, 2024, Boeing workers accepted the pay deal, ending a seven-week-long walk out. The company's three divisions are: Commercial Airplanes; Defense, Space & Security; and Global Services. In 2018 and 2019 , two Boeing 737 MAX narrow-body passenger airplanes crashed, leaving 346 people dead and no survivors. In response, aviation regulators and airlines around
420-518: A profit of US$ 9.7 billion, laying off 14,862 workers since 2008, and increasing executive pay by 31% to US$ 41.9 million in 2010 for its top five executives. Boeing has been accused of unethical practices (in violation of the Procurement Integrity Act ) while attempting to submit a revised bid to NASA for their lunar landing project. The firm has been criticized for supplying and profiting from wars , including
480-504: Is an American multinational corporation that designs, manufactures, and sells airplanes , rotorcraft , rockets , satellites , and missiles worldwide. The company also provides leasing and product support services. Boeing is among the largest global aerospace manufacturers ; it is the fourth-largest defense contractor in the world based on 2022 revenue and is the largest exporter in the United States by dollar value. Boeing
540-609: Is an element of the SN ground segment. Collocated with the White Sands Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System , the NCCDS is the operations control facility for the network. It schedules most Space Network elements and supporting elements and provides interfaces for planning, acquisition, control, and status of the Space Network. The NCCDS is the point-of-contact between customers (who have satellites in orbit) and
600-744: Is in the Las Cruces area. All radioed commands and received telemetry that go to and from the tracking and data relay satellites go by way of these terminals at the White Sands Complex. At first, just one large ground terminal system for the TDRSS was designed and built. However, some years later, due to increased user demand NASA ordered the design and construction of a second ground terminal system about 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) away. Thus, there are now two functionally identical and redundant satellite ground terminals there, which are known as
660-676: Is ranked 54th on the Fortune 500 list (2020), and ranked 121st on the Fortune Global 500 list (2020). The Boeing Company started in 1916, when American lumber industrialist William E. Boeing founded Pacific Aero Products Company in Seattle, Washington. Shortly before doing so, he and Conrad Westervelt created the "B&W" seaplane . In 1917, the organization was renamed Boeing Airplane Company, with William Boeing forming Boeing Airplane & Transport Corporation in 1928. In 1929,
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#1732772396890720-452: Is responsible for about 11% of greenhouse gases emitted by the U.S. transportation sector. Aviation's share of the greenhouse gas emissions was poised to grow, as air travel increases and ground vehicles use more alternative fuels like ethanol and biodiesel . Boeing estimates that biofuels could reduce flight-related greenhouse-gas emissions by 60 to 80%. The solution blends algae fuels with existing jet fuel . Boeing executives said
780-539: Is sustainable only as long as orders are good and delivery rates are increasing. From 2013 to 2019, Boeing spent over $ 60 billion on dividends and stock buybacks , twice as much as the development costs of the 787. In 2020, Boeing's second quarter revenue was $ 11.8 billion as a result of the pandemic slump. Due to higher sales in other divisions and an influx in deliveries of commercial jetliners in 2021, second quarter revenue increased by 44%, reaching nearly $ 17 billion. Revenues decreased 15 percent to $ 16.9 billion in
840-598: Is used for tracking satellites with apogees below 2000 km (the great majority of satellites), and the other for those with higher apogees. Use of operating frequencies near 2150 (plus or minus 150) MHz and near 14.3 (plus or minus 0.9) GHz were the initial plan. TDRSS was originally intended to support satellites with apogees below 12,000 km. Spacecraft in the TDRSS require only one communications system, since ground-based telemetry stations will be compatible with TDRSS equipment. Boeing The Boeing Company , or simply Boeing ( / ˈ b oʊ ɪ ŋ / ),
900-537: The COVID-19 pandemic with plans for a total 10% cut of its workforce or approximately 16,000 positions. In July 2020, Boeing reported a loss of $ 2.4 billion as a result of the pandemic and the Boeing 737 MAX groundings , and that it was in response planning to make more job and production cuts. On August 18, 2020, CEO Dave Calhoun announced further job cuts; on October 28, 2020, nearly 30,000 employees were laid off, as
960-568: The International Space Station , and remote bases like the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station . This system was designed to replace an existing worldwide network of ground stations that had supported all of NASA's crewed flight missions and uncrewed satellites in low-Earth orbits. The primary system design goal was to increase the amount of time that these spacecraft were in communication with
1020-875: The Israel-Gaza war (2023-present) , demonstrations sought to block shipments of weapons for the Israel Defense Forces at Boeing facilities in St. Charles, Missouri , Tukwila, Washington , and Gresham, Oregon . Students at Florida State University , University of Washington , Saint Louis University , University of Missouri–St. Louis , and Washington University in St. Louis called for their institutions to break partnerships with Boeing. Research estimates that Boeing has made between $ 50 billion to $ 100 billion in revenue from sales to Israel. In 2024, students on hunger strike at Brown University named Boeing among
1080-615: The National Science Foundation (NSF) through the use of the WSC Alternate Relay Terminal (WART). Additional spare TDRSs may be in geosynchronous orbit. All first-generation TDRSs (F1–F7, also known as TDRS A–G) carry functionally identical payloads and all second-generation TDRSs (F8–F10, also known as TDRS H–J) carry functionally identical payloads. A third generation, TDRS K, L, and M were launched between 2013–2017. The figures identify
1140-583: The Simi Hills of eastern Ventura County in Southern California , had been contaminated by Rocketdyne with toxic and radioactive waste . Boeing agreed to a cleanup agreement with the EPA in 2017. Clean-up studies and lawsuits are in progress. On July 19, 2022, Boeing announced a renewed partnership with Mitsubishi to produce carbon-neutral and sustainable solutions. The airline industry
1200-619: The White Sands Complex . Due to a Zone of Exclusion, no user support over the Indian Ocean, a ground terminal was built in Guam to support TDRS. The bilateration ranging transponder system (BRTS) provides tracking support for TDRS spacecraft. BRTS consists of four sites located at White Sands Missile Range (WSC), Guam (GRGT), Ascension Island (ACN), and Alice Springs , Australia (ALS). The communications systems of
1260-485: The jatropha plant to see if it is a sustainable alternative to conventional fuel. A two-hour test flight using a 50–50 mixture of the new biofuel with Jet A-1 in a Rolls-Royce RB-211 engine of a 747–400 was completed on December 30, 2008. The engine was then removed to be studied to identify any differences between the Jatropha blend and regular Jet A1. No effects on performances were found. In 2008 and 2009, Boeing
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#17327723968901320-601: The Boeing 737 MAX 9. The FAA announced on January 12 that it was expanding its scrutiny of Boeing, with a production audit of the 737 MAX 9. On February 6, the National Transportation Safety Board released a preliminary report indicating that four bolts used to secure the panel had been removed, and appeared not to have been replaced, at Boeing’s factory in Renton, Washington . In March 2024,
1380-612: The Justice Department opened a criminal investigation into the Alaska Airlines blowout. In March 2024, CEO Dave Calhoun and board chairman Larry Kellner both announced they would be stepping down from their positions. In 2006, the UCLA Center for Environmental Risk Reduction released a study showing that Boeing's Santa Susana Field Laboratory , a site that was a former Rocketdyne test and development site in
1440-717: The NCCDS active NAM web site. The Goddard Space Flight Center uses the NAMs as a means of letting customers know of any performance constraints associated with the TDRS spacecraft. Tracking and Data Relay Satellite A tracking and data relay satellite ( TDRS ) is a type of communications satellite that forms part of the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System (TDRSS) used by NASA and other United States government agencies for communications to and from independent "User Platforms" such as satellites , balloons, aircraft,
1500-400: The NCCDS provides operational performance information (such as data presence monitoring indicators and data quality monitoring data) on scheduled services during actual support to determine if conditions exist that will affect data quality. The NCCDS issues Network Advisory Messages (NAMs) to provide up-to-date information on network conditions and constraints. These messages are accessible via
1560-484: The Space Network for most scheduling and real-time performance. A customer may obtain Space Network support by submitting specific schedule requests to or establishing generic requirements with the NCCDS. The NCCDS translates customers’ requirements into specific TDRS communications and tracking events. Additionally, the NCCDS notifies affected customers of scheduled system outages so that Mission Operation Centers (MOCs) can properly plan mission activities. Upon MOC request,
1620-576: The TDRS system and hand off satellite relay services to commercial providers. In 2024 it announced that while TDRS satellites would probably continue to operate for a decade or more, all new orbital missions would communicate through privately-operated satellite networks. The first tracking and data relay satellite was launched in 1983 on the Space Shuttle Challenger's first flight, STS-6 . The Boeing-built Inertial Upper Stage that
1680-418: The TDRSS satellites were designed to support multiple missions at the same time. Each satellite has S band , K u band (1st Gen only), and K a band (2nd gen only) electronic communication systems hardware that operate at different carrier frequencies and also support various data-rates. The newer Boeing satellites are able to support more communications than the older TRW-built satellites. Note: while
1740-587: The airplane manufacturer was increasingly losing money due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In May 2022, Boeing announced plans to move its global headquarters from Chicago to Arlington, Virginia , a suburb of Washington, D.C. The company said that this decision was made in part to concentrate on its defense work with "proximity to our customers and stakeholders". After the January 2024 Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 and other incidents, one shareholder proposed relocating
1800-401: The airplane was malfunctioning, and ultimately plummeted nose-down to the ground at terrifying speed". While the investigations into the crashes of the 737 MAX were proceeding, the Boeing 777X , the company's largest capacity twin jet and the largest ever built, made its maiden flight on January 25, 2020, but also experienced problems. Following an incident during flight testing in 2021,
1860-467: The capabilities of the system as a whole: "Working solo, TDRS-1 provided more communication coverage, in support of the September 1983 Shuttle mission, than the entire network of NASA tracking stations had provided in all previous Shuttle missions." The first generation of TDRS are planned to be retired in 2015. The two TDRSS satellite ground terminals are located at NASA White Sands Complex, which
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1920-568: The company was collaborating with Brazilian biofuels maker Tecbio , Aquaflow Bionomic of New Zealand, and other fuel developers around the world. As of 2007, Boeing had tested six fuels from these companies, and expected to test 20 fuels "by the time we're done evaluating them". Boeing also joined other aviation-related members in the Algal Biomass Organization (ABO) in June 2008. Air New Zealand and Boeing are researching
1980-492: The company was renamed United Aircraft and Transport Corporation , followed by the acquisition of several aircraft makers such as Avion, Chance Vought , Sikorsky Aviation , Stearman Aircraft , Pratt & Whitney , and Hamilton Metalplane. In 1931, the group merged its four smaller airlines into United Airlines . In 1934, aircraft manufacturing was required to be separate from air transportation. Therefore, Boeing Airplane Company became one of three major groups to arise from
2040-419: The company's hiding of information from the safety regulators: a criminal monetary penalty of $ 243.6 million, $ 1.77 billion of damages to airline customers, and a $ 500 million crash-victim beneficiaries fund. In September 2022, Boeing was ordered to pay a further $ 200 million over charges of misleading investors about safety issues related to these crashes. In March 2023, Boeing disputed in court filings that
2100-408: The company. The average salary at Boeing was $ 76,784 in 2011, as reported by former employees. In 2022, Rory Kennedy made a documentary film, Downfall: The Case Against Boeing , streamed by Netflix . She said about the 21st-century history of Boeing "There were many decades when Boeing did extraordinary things by focusing on excellence and safety and ingenuity. Those three virtues were seen as
2160-624: The corporate headquarters back to the Seattle area in hopes of getting engineering and quality control teams on-site access to key decision-makers. Boeing's board soundly dismissed the attempt. In February 2023, Boeing announced plans for laying off approximately 2,000 of its workers from finances and human resources. In May 2023, Boeing acquired autonomous eVTOL air taxi startup Wisk Aero . In June 2024, Boeing agreed to re-acquire Spirit AeroSystems , its longtime supplier of airplane parts, which had been established in 2005 when Boeing spun-off its Wichita division to an investment firm. The deal
2220-515: The crashes through a disintegration of workplace morale . In June 2020, the Federal Aviation Administration found several 737 MAX defects that Boeing deferred to fix, in violation of regulations . In September 2020, the U.S. House of Representatives concluded its own investigation and cited numerous instances where Boeing dismissed employee concerns with a 737 MAX flight stabilizing feature ( MCAS ) that caused
2280-562: The dissolution of United Aircraft and Transport; the other two entities were United Aircraft (later United Technologies ) and United Airlines. In 1960, the company bought Vertol Aircraft Corporation , which at the time, was the biggest independent manufacturer of helicopters . During the 1960s and 1970s, the company diversified into industries such as outer space travel, marine craft, agriculture, energy production and transit systems. In 1995, Boeing partnered with Russian, Ukrainian, and Anglo-Norwegian organizations to create Sea Launch ,
2340-418: The estimated first delivery of the aircraft was delayed until 2024. After further technical problems were discovered in the aircraft in 2022, the release was delayed again until 2025, six years after the original date. On January 5, 2024, on Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 , a door plug blowout occurred on a 737 MAX 9 jetliner after the plane had reached just over 16,000 feet, leaving a door-sized hole in
2400-441: The first time since 2008. On October 12, 2024, the company announced plans to cut 17,000 jobs, about 10% of its global workforce, "to align with our financial reality". It would also delay the first deliveries of its 777X airliner by a year and recorded $ 5 billion in losses in the third quarter of the year. On October 28, Boeing initiated a significant share sale, valued at nearly $ 19 billion, to address cash-flow issues and avoid
2460-487: The fuselage and the aircraft made an emergency landing at Portland International Airport successfully with several people onboard injured, although all had subsequently been "medically cleared". The FAA mandated immediate inspections of all 737 MAX 9s fitted with door plugs, thereby grounding 171 aircraft. United Airlines found loose bolts on jets grounded by the FAA, raising questions about possible systemic problems with
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2520-573: The ground and improve the amount of data that could be transferred. These TDRSS satellites are all designed and built to be launched to and function in geosynchronous orbit , 35,786 km (22,236 mi) above the surface of the Earth. The first seven TDRSS satellites were built by the TRW corporation. The three later versions have been manufactured by the Boeing corporation's Satellite Systems division. Thirteen satellites have been launched; however, one
2580-461: The highest-ever tax breaks at the state level in 2013. Boeing's spent US$ 16.9 million on lobbying expenditures in 2009. In the 2008 presidential election , Barack Obama "was by far the biggest recipient of campaign contributions from Boeing employees and executives, hauling in US$ 197,000 – five times as much as John McCain , and more than the top eight Republicans combined". Boeing has
2640-525: The latter won, and that this may have contributed to the events leading up to the 737 MAX crash crisis. Boeing's corporate headquarters moved from Seattle to Chicago in 2001. In 2018, the company opened its first factory in Europe at Sheffield , UK, reinforced by a research partnership with the University of Sheffield . In May 2020, the company cut over 12,000 jobs due to the drop in air travel during
2700-752: The list of corporations to divest from. Five protesters in solidarity with the Palestinian cause were arrested on felony charges after blocking entrances to a Boeing facility in Heath, Ohio . The student union at Washington University in St. Louis passed a resolution calling on the university to divest from Boeing. The key trends of Boeing are (as at the financial year ending December 31): Between 2010 and 2018, Boeing increased its operating cash flow from $ 3 to $ 15.3 billion, sustaining its share price, by negotiating advance payments from customers and delaying payments to its suppliers. This strategy
2760-485: The merger: exclusivity agreements with three US airlines would be terminated, separate accounts would be maintained for the McDonnell-Douglas civil aircraft business, and some defense patents were to be made available to competitors. In 2020, Quartz reported that after the merger there was a "clash of corporate cultures, where Boeing's engineers and McDonnell Douglas's bean-counters went head-to-head", which
2820-482: The pertinent communications components and associated parameters of the orbiting relay platforms. For spacecraft operating in a low Earth orbit (LEO) 73 km to 3000 km altitude, the SN is capable of providing tracking and data acquisition services over 100% of the spacecraft's orbit. Spacecraft sent to more distant or exotic destinations rely on either Deep Space Network or their own custom, dedicated networks. The Network Control Center Data System (NCCDS)
2880-727: The point that the satellite was able to see the South Pole, and an uplink/downlink station was installed at Amundsen–Scott South Pole Station in January 1998; TDRS-1 was an important communication uplink for Antarctic research until 2009. The second tracking and data relay satellite was destroyed along with Challenger shortly after launch during the STS-51-L mission in January 1986. The next five TRW-built TDRSS satellites were successfully launched on other Space Shuttles. Three follow-up Boeing-built satellites were launched by Atlas rockets in 2000 and 2002. A NASA Press Release summarized
2940-630: The purchase of their commercial aircraft in countries including Brazil, Canada, Ireland, and the United Arab Emirates , from the Export-Import Bank of the United States , some 65% of the total loan guarantees the bank made in the period. In December 2011, the non-partisan organization Public Campaign criticized Boeing for spending US$ 52.29 million on lobbying and not paying taxes from 2008 to 2010, instead getting US$ 178 million in tax rebates , despite making
3000-519: The second quarter of 2024, compared to the same time period in 2023. The company's operating loss amounted to $ 1.39 billion and its net loss to $ 1.43 billion, while plane deliveries fell to 92 (from 136 in 2023). The company's employment totals are listed below. Approximately 1.5% of Boeing employees are in the Technical Fellowship program, a program through which Boeing's top engineers and scientists set technical direction for
3060-451: The two fatal accidents, prioritized deadline and budget constraints over safety , and lacked transparency in disclosing essential information to the FAA. It further found that the assumption that simulator training would not be necessary had "diminished safety, minimized the value of pilot training , and inhibited technical design improvements". On January 7, 2021, Boeing settled to pay over $ 2.5 billion after being charged with fraud over
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#17327723968903120-492: The victims of Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 (the 2019 crash) experienced any pain and suffering in the final six minutes as the plane was nosediving into the ground, citing "speed of sound" as a defence. Boeing's claim was described as "preposterous" by HuffPost : Passengers aboard the plane, the plaintiffs argued in court, "undeniably suffered horrific emotional distress, pain and suffering, and physical impact/injury while they endured extreme G-forces, braced for impact, knew
3180-493: The war in Yemen where its missiles were found to be used for indiscriminate attacks, killing many civilians. In 2017 Boeing signed a deal with Saudi Arabia which included Saudi Arabia buying military aircraft and guided missile systems. In 2023, it was reported that Boeing sent 1,000 small diameter bombs for the first week of Israeli air attacks on Gaza that were shipped from a US Air Force base by Israeli Air Force . During
3240-405: The world grounded all 737 MAX airliners. A total of 387 aircraft were grounded. Boeing's reputation, business, and financial rating suffered after the groundings, as Boeing's strategy, governance, and focus on profits and cost efficiency were questioned. In 2022, Netflix released an exposé, Downfall: The Case Against Boeing , claiming Boeing's corporate merger with McDonnell Douglas led to
3300-693: Was destroyed in the Challenger disaster . TDRS-1 was decommissioned in October 2009. TDRS-4 was decommissioned in December 2011. Ten TDRSS satellites are currently in service. All of the TDRSS satellites have been managed by NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center . The contract for TDRS versions L & K was awarded to Boeing on December 20, 2007. On November 30, 2011, NASA announced the decision to order an additional third-generation TDRS satellite, TDRS M . In 2022 NASA announced it would begin to phase out
3360-739: Was founded by William E. Boeing in Seattle , Washington, on July 15, 1916. The present corporation is the result of the merger of Boeing with McDonnell Douglas on August 1, 1997. As of 2023, the Boeing Company's corporate headquarters is located in the Crystal City neighborhood of Arlington County, Virginia . The company is organized into three primary divisions: Boeing Commercial Airplanes (BCA), Boeing Defense, Space & Security (BDS), and Boeing Global Services (BGS). In 2021, Boeing recorded $ 62.3 billion in sales. Boeing
3420-616: Was initially discussed in March of the same year before being closed on June 30 at $ 4.7 billion. On September 12, 2024, a vote was held among Boeing machinist workers who are also members of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) labor union, with 94.6% of participating members rejected a contract offer that the union's bargaining committee had endorsed, with 96% voting to strike. At 12:01 am on September 13, Boeing workers went on strike for
3480-420: Was second on the list of Top 100 US Federal Contractors , with contracts totaling US$ 22 billion and US$ 23 billion respectively. Between 1995 and early 2021, the company agreed to pay US$ 4.3 billion to settle 84 instances of misconduct, including US$ 615 million in 2006 in relation to illegal hiring of government officials and improper use of proprietary information. Boeing secured
3540-441: Was the first of TDRSS multiple satellite tracking system. The system is a concept utilizing communication satellite technology that improves and economizes the satellite tracking and telemetry operations. The base three geosynchronous satellites (one a standby) track and receive data from satellites for relay to a ground station. The two primary active satellites are separated in orbit by at least 130 degrees longitude. One system
3600-420: Was to take the satellite from Challenger's orbit to its ultimate geosynchronous orbit suffered a failure that caused it not to deliver the TDRS to the correct orbit. As a result, it was necessary to command the satellite to use its onboard rocket thrusters to move it into its correct orbit. This expenditure of fuel reduced its capability to remain in a geostationary orbit; by late 1997 the orbit had changed to
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