A Centaur second stage is positioned atop a rocket that will be used to boost the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite.

At Cape Canaveral Air Force Station's Launch Complex 41, a Centaur second stage is positioned atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket that will be used to boost the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite, or TDRS-L, spacecraft to orbit.

TDRS-L is the second of three next-generation satellites designed to ensure vital operational continuity for the NASA Space Network. It is scheduled to launch from Cape Canaveral's Space Launch Complex 41 atop an Atlas V rocket in January 2014. The current Tracking and Data Relay Satellite system consists of eight in-orbit satellites distributed to provide near continuous information relay service to missions such as the Hubble Space Telescope and International Space Station. For more information, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/content/tracking-and-data-relay-satellite-tdrs/ Photo credit: NASA/Charisse Nahser