Grand Forks County (trfnews.i234.me) – A major milestone for North Dakota and the University of North Dakota (UND) was achieved this Monday, as the state’s first-ever commissioned satellites—ROADS-1 and ROADS-2—blasted off from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.
These low Earth orbit satellites, developed by UND in collaboration with AVSUSA (an engineering firm with bases in New York and Spain), are part of UND’s Rendezvous and Operations for Autonomous Docking and Servicing (ROADS) mission.
UND Professor Pablo de León confirmed the satellites made initial orbital passes and are transmitting data, a critical first step. “The nightmare of every satellite designer is that they don’t respond once in space,” he said. But these satellites are alive and talking.
In the coming weeks, satellite control will be transferred to UND’s Odgard Hall, with students actively participating in the mission. Professor Ron Fevig, the project’s technical leader, emphasized that this mission could lay the groundwork for future satellite servicing and docking capabilities.
This project represents a significant milestone for UND and satellite science in the region.
I’m Chris Harper reporting for TRF News.