Space Communications and Navigation

This project investigates upgrading multiple areas with MTRS equipment at McMurdo and at White Sands, to raise its efficiency in supporting the Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) mission and future high data rate missions.This study is important because improving MTRS may significantly reduce costs and prevent the possibility of an unplanned long downtime. MTRS has difficulty supporting the SMAP mission because of the availability of TDRS. When TDRS is unavailable, the passes must be moved to an expensive commercial service. Coverage analysis of the MTRS and TDRS is shown in this presentation.