Question

What is relay in satellite communication?

Answer 1

Satellites in orbit cannot pass along their information to the ground stations on Earth if the satellite does not have a clear view of the ground station. Therefore, TDRS serves as a way to pass along the satellite's information. Nine TDRS sit about 35,400 kilometers (22,000 miles) above the Earth and are able to forward information from a satellite until it reaches the appropriate ground station in view, to that TDRS at either White Sands, New Mexico or Guam Island. TDRS can also send information from the ground to the satellite to tell the satellite what to do (take a picture, turn a sensor or off, send stored data back or change its orbit). TDRS allows NASA to have global coverage of all the satellites-24 hours a day- without having to build extra ground stations on Earth.

TDRS: (TRACKING AND DATA RELAY SATELLITE)