The third and final ComSat to orbit Minmus was successfully launched into LKO, where it transferred without issue to Minmus and detached from its transfer stage in orbit around the moon, leaving it to drift until we re-activate it for use as an impactor. In order to slot the satellite into position between the two existing ones, an aggressive maneuver was plotted to send the craft whipping past Minmus as low as 15km, after which it would rise up to complete the constellation of communication satellites.
Tag Archive: kOS
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.
Dec 16 2014
#049: Automated RCS Maneuver Testing
The KSA has been aware for some time of a limitation with their remote operation system, which is capable of pointing the rocket and performing burns with an engine when not in contact with mission control (assuming these commands were programmed while contact was established). What it is *not* capable of is controlling the RCS system. Since most of our small probes rely solely on RCS to perform maneuvers, this has been a small problem for operations around Kerbin, and only becomes a larger one when conducting maneuvers on probes outside the system. The solution is finally at hand with some new software, but to test it the Agency needs to loft a probe up into LKO, after which it was planned to be de-orbited once the software is confirmed operational.
Nov 08 2014
#043: Automated Rover Test Drive #6
After finishing up maintenance on the rover, which experienced some technical difficulties on the previous drive, the team once again unleashed Lupek out into the wilderness hoping for a clean drive from start to finish. They were also testing out a new feature of the driving software that would allow Lupek to retrace its route back to the start. As Lupek has already proven itself on long voyages, the team decided to only send it out as far as the grasslands and back.
Nov 04 2014
#041: Automated Rover Test Drive #5
Although the previous drive was ultimately successful, engineers on the rover team were still not satisfied with the damage done to the rover and the inability of the software to properly acquire the next waypoint. Further refinement to the driving parameters and some refactoring of the guidance code gives them high hopes of a clean run from start to finish on this next drive out to the west shore desert. Once again, the rover will be completely on its own and assisted only from mission control at KSC.
Nov 03 2014
#040: Automated Rover Test Drive #4
Previous drives of the rover focused on testing and refining the code the would allow the rover to navigate itself over difficult and unknown terrain. The team is now at the point where they feel confident enough in the rover’s abilities to not only go out and drive itself around without a pace vehicle for backup, but also while carrying the full suite of instruments and equipment that will be loaded on it for its actual mission to Mun. Accidents now will not only endanger the rover, but the operability of several delicate science instruments.
Oct 30 2014
#039: Automated Rover Test Drive #3
The previous test drive ended in disaster as the rover failed to control its speed as it backed down a steep slope it could not climb, tumbling and wrecking itself. While a new rover body was constructed, engineers used the time to work out what went wrong in the code and corrected the problem. This drive would take the rover straight out to the mountains to make sure the new code behaves as expected.
Oct 26 2014
#037: Automated Rover Test Drive #2
After successfully navigating 169.3km from KSC out to the west shore desert, the rover team got to work planning an even harder route back home that would test the rover’s ability to handle a slope it couldn’t navigate, as well as refactoring a large portion of the rover driver software to give the team more data to look at while the rover operated.
Oct 25 2014
#036: Automated Rover Test Drive #1
After completing the first phase of rover testing KSA engineers got to work on the software that would help to pilot the rover on other worlds where controllers won’t have immediate execution of commands. A stripped-down version of the rover was constructed for testing of waypoint acquisition and navigation, culminating in the first long-distance drive over 150km to the west shore desert.