LIFTOFF! Today at 8:29 a.m. EDT, we launched our next communications satellite, named the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite-M (TDRS-M). This satellite will join a fleet in space that helps us with global communications for more than 40 of our missions. From the beautiful images we receive from the Hubble Space Telescope, to communicating with astronauts on the International Space Station, the TDRS network helps facilitate the work we do at NASA. With the launch of TDRS-M, the lifespan of our Space Network will be extended for another 15 years or more. Seen here as it leaves Cape Canaveral Air Force Station’s Launch Complex 41 in Florida, the Atlas V rocket safely delivered the satellite in orbit. Credit: NASA #nasa #space #satellite #tdrsm #communications #launch #liftoff #kennedy #kennedyspacecenter #capecanaveral #ula #spacecraft #orbit #launchpad