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Feb 14 2015

#054: Back In Bizness – ComSat Minmus I

After over a month of repairs required to get the launch pad back to operational status after being nearly destroyed by 2.5m rocket launches, the KSA is finally ready to really kick off 2015 operations. We are starting small, however, to ensure the pad repairs have been adequate. The ComSat Minmus I satellite will be the first to orbit the second moon of Kerbin and will be the start of another triple-constellation around the equator that will provide complete omni network coverage for future craft. We plan to make Minmus an important way station for future kerbed space flight so this investment in communications infrastructure will pay off down the road. This mission would also go on to uncover a serious flaw in our mission planning software that would affect another planned launch.

qE94dCe.pngqmFMdN0.png aSEF48o.png lEAmtxz.png looking ahead to future missions, here's our Minmus comsats & network plan Pv4Y8Sc.png looking the other way, we have our Minmus ComSat along with the docking test capsule vehicle. VAB is at capacity! Y4RDIpc.png although it now won't be launching for several weeks, final staging of our first Minmus ComSat is underway today MNtLu3Q.png 4oFfBu3.png aIFVk8X.png VbZeySQ.png 2 craft built last month, 3 under construction now, 2 more by month's end - VAB is going to be getting quite crowded! ruZzo51.png more Mun III parts, docking test probe near staging & two Minmus comsats completed. That's a Bearcat business end loQwvV1.png earlier this week during upgrades, VAB received last Minmus comsat & added structural support to Mun III cargo bay zbDvAP4.png cHP6FKr.png bGoWrHV.png QvQ06AT.png AHwjhuO.png are we looking forward to the launchpad reopening next month? Heck yes - our VAB is becoming a little crowded... zK2WFQh.png bM5mQaG.png bfMs93s.png our 3 tracking station dishes are all receiving maintenance this week in advance of launch operations resuming soon 82HYe7Q.png 0f2J5rC.png u7bXR6q.png joQt3Hn.png AIe27jd.png dYuo0Ie.png QTHiOAN.png ComSat Minmus I has been rolled out and hooked up on the pad. Between the umbilicals, the big star is actually Minmus fNwinTj.png xldiZDi.png 9u8nyWS.png Eijn3Ba.png KzFvJE6.png zIR6N3M.png the dawn begins to break behind ComSat Minmus I as we continue to count down to our final built-in hold VYxBDPx.png LNO7FDV.png yDRZ74c.png kFDvd9A.png c1wzf17.png vCO8wiB.png yjRCaQq.png huCrJD3.png 348rYWi.png czwme8I.png launch team handing spacecraft over to the mission team, who have a transfer burn to plot. Here's a view from orbit Mn5745S.png mSYEQJY.png dX7oZPc.png dishes are coming online, system checks underway. We need them up & running by 12:57:08 UTC - 2.5Mm omni range limit EMJ0t39.png mAK7XVZ.png RpQhlW3.png HUyumKy.png GNhG9b0.png 9Ki5d09.png SZbzhYk.png photo taken 21:12:41 UTC when ComSat Minmus I was at closest approach to Mun at 12,048km (21,775km from Kerbin) UFYcCdz.png RWc8tg4.png El5z8G3.png HmmSkub.png I0tIrle.png QTwJLbM.png a look at ComSat Minmus I ascent trajectory vs. Docking Test Probe back in Dec that suffered the altitude error zFwZFn7.png luDtwFb.png

iyQ8xio.png QRwauVn.png hard to believe we've come this far since yesterday morning and yet still have 10 hours to go before SOI transition OStENWa.png 34,783km from Minmus, ComSat Minmus I will be traveling < 100m/s by the time we intercept its SOI (Eve to the left) fhIsRhJ.png 1fO3WVt.png less than an hour to SOI, crowd is gathering in the back of the mission control room. Dres & Eve on screen w/Minmus 4xyrWqV.png OKKkitV.png Zks6TdS.png 2LM82Rc.png qfh7RfJ.png less than 7min to OIB and we just zipped behind Minmus. Still traveling fast so only one capacitor needed discharging NVSFkvP.png JWMWtGo.png GSWQnd0.png TiMJHvy.png 7NdFHJ7.png Hgw1IUY.png eURLoDN.png it would appear we neglected to share with you the http://bit.ly/CSMinI launch photo from Monday. Shame on us! Fgl7med.png TSh6qjX.png uGnlE5x.png HgOWzXv.png 5xhnniR.png K5UAljm.png our best look at Minmus so far at max optical zoom. We'll be able to get a Kerbin system family photo tomorrow! p1DKmmf.png XE5Qtgn.png 4kVLd2C.png y0ggZYL.png dZDezir.png RCS thrust was successful, ComSat Minmus I inclination now 0. As promised, here's a Kerbin system family photo! 8qWe0Uj.png to show proper scale, this photo was taken when both Mun and Kerbin were 46,291km away from ComSat Minmus I UdeWyHS.png ORicW43.png uuFNbyY.png 07NeUe2.png PmCgJeX.png wLx9nrp.png lpXbkeE.png 8XV0dXm.png

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