May 30, 2122
Hidaya activated the first science-communication satellite, triple checking the procedure before dropping it just outside the asteroid belt, at 3.4 AU from the sun. After launching it, she monitored it carefully, confirming that its solar power array had successfully unfolded. It would take about a week to fully power up and become functional.
That evening she celebrated with her first pouch of hot tea. In the report she was keeping for the monk back on Mars, she carefully described its flavor: “A light, delicate, slightly sweet flavor with faint floral overtones. Similar in flavor to a white tea. Good for sipping slowly and rolling over the tongue. Gently awakens the senses.”
vlsperry 
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