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: Minmus
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.