Now that KSP has been able to send satellites into a sustainable orbit, more expensive technologies can be trialed. Today, a satellite named Frontier II was launched to test solar panels, which harness energy from our star to recharge the batteries and prolong it's operating life.
Although a success, the mission didn't go ahead without its glitches. An unexpected ignition delay in the engine of the Houndstone's second-stage booster is thought to have been the cause for it's highly elliptical orbit. However, it is now the furthest-traveled Kerbal-made object in space to date, with a peak altitude of 812.9km!
Artists impression of what the Houndstone launch-vehicle might look like in orbit
The probe, however, functioned perfectly. Frontier II lost contact and disappeared into the shadow of Kerbin nearly six minutes after launch. Once in the shadow, Frontier II would have to rely on it's batteries to function. If the solar panels were working correctly, the satellite would pass back into sunlight and recharge it's batteries by the time it was back in communications range with Mission Control.
A spokesman said:
'Almost an hour after we had lost contact, Frontier II moved back within communications range indicating that it had one-hundred percent battery power. This told us that the solar panels were doing their job. Every step we do here is significant, but this one is crucial if we are going to progress efficiently.'
An illustration of Frontier II in space
So satellites now have a sustainable energy source, which we are sure will pave the way for advanced satellite and probe development.
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