As mentioned previously, Mission Control stated that StarComm, our first communications satellite in orbit, would be joined with a twin. Today, StarComm II made it into a polar orbit - the first satellite to do so. However, a polar orbit is a little more tricky than the normal equatorial ones we've seen so far. And it's more to do with safety than anything else.
The normal launch route is to head East over the sea. If there is a failure, the rocket will just fall harmlessly into the ocean. To head directly North for a polar orbit, the rocket would need to pass over land and populated area's. The safest option would be to first launch into a normal equatorial orbit and then change the orbit for polar alignment. The Houndstone launch system, however, does not have the fuel for this. But after several days of debate, the reliability of Houndstone and considering the path directly to the North is mostly mountainous, it was approved to proceed with a direct polar approach.
StarComm II is the first artificial satellite to fly over the poles of Kerbin
The mission was carried out successfully, with the only hindrance being more orbital corrections with the on-board propulsion than planned. This mission also saw the first 'zero space debris' as the second-stage was jettisoned at 67km. At this height there is still some atmosphere, meaning the assembly eventually slowed, fell and disintegrated. StarComm II's on-board propulsion carried the probe through the last leg (another first) and up to 300km. It deployed it's dish successfully and continues to operate.
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