TDRS-7, known before launch as TDRS-G, is an American communications satellite, of first generation, which is operated by NASA as part of the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System. It was constructed by TRW as a replacement for TDRS-B, which had been lost in the Challenger accident, and was the last first generation TDRS satellite to be launched.
History
TDRS-7 is based on a custom satellite bus which was used for all seven first generation TDRS satellites.[3] Whilst similar to its predecessors, it differed from them slightly in that twelve G/H band (C band (IEEE)) transponders which had been included on the previous satellites were omitted.[4] It was the last communications satellite, other than amateur radio spacecraft, to be deployed by a Space Shuttle.