GREENBELT, MD --- NASA's LCRD mission has successfully completed a Mission Concept Review, a major evaluation milestone of the engineering plan to execute the build and launch of a space communications laser system. The LCRD payload is scheduled for launch in 2017.

NEW YORK, NY -- As New York City embraced SpaceFest, a four-day celebration of space shuttle history and the arrival of Enterprise at the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum, Goddard put on display the future in space communications with a the Laser Communications Relay Demonstration (LCRD) Project.

GREENBELT, MD -- The Tracking and Data Relay Satellite 4 (TDRS-4) recently completed almost 23 years of operations support and successfully completed end-of-mission de-orbit and decommissioning activities. TDRS-4's operational life span was well beyond its original 10-year design.

WASHINGTON -- NASA's Space Technology Program has awarded Space System/Loral of Palo Alto, Calif., a $3 million contract to initiate the process of hosting a space laser communications relay demonstration terminal payload aboard a Loral commercial satellite, which launches in 2016.

GREENBELT, MD --- The Space Network Ground Segment Sustainment effort successfully completed its Key Decision Point - B review at NASA allowing the project to proceed into Phase B of its lifecycle, the Mission Definition Phase. During this next phase, the network will hold its PDR.

GREENBELT, MD - For Mary Ann, her path to NASA began as a cooperative education (co-op) student in 1974. She hailed from the University of Maryland in College Park as she found her place at NASA. Little did she know that she would lead two careers, one at NASA and one in the Navy Reserve.

GREENBELT, MD -- During African American History month at Goddard Space Flight Center, several employees were featured in the Legacy at Goddard video tribute. The Networks Integration Management Office's Evette Brown-Conwell was one of those employees. Check out this video and hear about her journey at NASA.

GREENBELT, MD --- NASA's Space Network recently completed the Critical Design Review (CDR) of the User Service Subsystem Component Replacement (USSCR) Project, bringing focus to the progress of one of the longest development activities of the product. The CDR presentation provided a detailed description that displayed the maturity of functional and interface designs.

GREENBELT, MD - The most recent evaluations of NASA’s Tracking and Data Relay Satellite (TDRS) project confirmed all systems go for a third generation upgrade of the orbiting communications network. TDRS-K is scheduled for launch aboard an Atlas V rocket from Cape Canaveral, Florida in the fall of 2012.

GREENBELT, MD -- The recently-award Laser Communication Relay Demonstration was featured on the quarterly magazine, "Cutting Edge." This new multi-million-dollar technology-demonstration mission could make today’s space-based radio-frequency systems look as passé as dial-up Internet.

GREENBELT, MD -- Goddard managed networks combined NASA owned ground based antennas, NASA's space based communications relay satellite network, commercial communications services, and Air Force ground stations to provide crucial tracking, telemetry, and command services during space shuttle missions.

GREENBELT, MD -- A new optical communications system that NASA plans to demonstrate in 2016 will lead the way and even allow the streaming of high-definition video from distances beyond the Moon. This dramatically enhanced transmission speed will be demonstrated by the Laser Communications Relay Demonstration (LCRD).

GREENBELT, MD -- Exploring the many happenings of the Exploration and Space Communications Projects Division (ESC), two new videos on Space Communication were released in August 2011. These videos highlighted the MILA closing in July and Goddard's Networks Integration Center.

GREENBELT, MD -- Acknowledging the immense work that went into a successful System Requirement Review, the Space Network Ground Segment Sustainment Project held a team building event on July 15, 2011. This event allowed stress and friction levels to decrease in preparation for the SRR that occurred July 18-22.

MERRITT ISLAND, FL -- With its beginnings rooted deeply in the historic days of Apollo, the MILA Spaceflight Tracking and Data Network Station has played a key role throughout the 30 years of the Space Shuttle Program. But just as the shuttle program is drawing to a close, so is the long history of MILA.

GREENBELT, MD -- Although the rain clouds loomed overhead, not a drop fell on the estimated 15,000 visitors that came to Explore @ NASA Goddard Day on May 14th, 2011 at the Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, MD. Buses shuttled in a flurry of excited public guests who were welcomed by GSFC employees, partners, food vendors, and science education professionals.

CAPE CANAVERAL, FL -- In promotion of STS-135, the final Space Shuttle mission, NASA is hosting a Tweetup at the Kennedy Space Center on July 7-8. NASA invited 150 of its Twitter followers to learn more about NASA, the final shuttle mission, and experience Space Shuttle Atlantis' final launch on its mission to the International Space Station.

GREENBELT, MD -- Airlines can not afford to fly with empty seats very often – and Space Shuttle orbiters can’t leave valuable payload capacity “on the ground.” Costing hundreds of millions of dollars per flight, NASA filled extra space in the shuttle’s cargo bay using the Shuttle Small Payloads Project (SSPP).

WASHINGTON -- NASA has awarded the Space Network Ground Segment Sustainment project contract to General Dynamics C4 Systems of Scottsdale, Ariz. The cost-plus-award fee, indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity contract has a total potential value of approximately $642.2 million, including options.

GREENBELT, MD -- A large gathering of NASA employees and other distinguished guests gathered to celebrate at the Goddard's Visitor Center. They paid tribute to an engineering team who pioneered space-based communications and toasted the Agency's highly successful Tracking and Data Relay Satellite 1 (TDRS 1), mission.

GREENBELT, MD -- GSFC's Tech Transfer interviewed members of the Exploration Systems Projects (ESP) team: Mike Weiss (Project Manager), Neal Barthelme (Deputy Project Manager), and Ron Leung (Senior Mission Systems Engineer & Independent Technical Authority) about ESP technologies and the critical value they can provide both within NASA and beyond.

GREENBELT, MD -- The Tracking and Data Relay Satellite (TDRS) was recently featured on a new blog at Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), titled Geeked on Goddard. The post, describing how GSFC's Flight Dynamic Facility plays a critical role providing service to NASA's Space Shuttle Program and International Space Station, mentions TDRS's tracking responsibility.