Is it common for the Deep Space Network to contact a TDRS satellite?

As I write this, one of the Madrid dishes of the Deep Space Network is in contact with TDRS satellite #13.

I've never seen DSN contact a TDRS satellite before. I thought that system has its own dishes. Has DSN been used to contact a TDRS satellite before? Why is it contacting TDRS-13 now? Isn't Madrid 180 degrees from where the satellite is supposed to be? Does this have something to do with that satellite's past problems?

asked Jun 11, 2020 at 21:21

DrSheldon

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$\begingroup$ Fascinating question! n2yo currently shows it easily viewable from DSN Madrid so I've therefore unaccepted my "Yes" answer to Is TDRS-M (TDRS-13) where it's supposed to be? when it was near 150° W. $\endgroup$
– uhoh
Jun 11, 2020 at 23:39
$\begingroup$ This answer to Missions at or soon-to-be at Mars and their DSN “codenames”? links to cdscc.nasa.gov/Pages/trackingtoday.html with abbreviations for deep space missions tracked by Canberra. Interestingly, the mdscc.nasa.gov site does not have a corresponding page, at least by simple replacement of cdscc with mdscc, so is there some way that we can be 100% certain that TD13 is TDRSS-13? $\endgroup$
– uhoh
Jun 11, 2020 at 23:49
$\begingroup$ as you know DSN historical activity can be downloaded and searched for previous contacts with TDRS as discussed in Understanding the information contained in the Deep Space Network XML data? and in Is there any publicly available logging, or “Wayback Machine” for DSN Now activity? I don't have the personal bandwidth to do so these days but presumably something like this could be done to see how often this happens. $\endgroup$
– uhoh
Jun 11, 2020 at 23:56
1

$\begingroup$ I didn't screencapture the whole DSN Now page, but the spacecraft details clearly specified that TD13 is TDRS-13. $\endgroup$
– DrSheldon
Jun 12, 2020 at 2:23

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