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Offline zorgon

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Japan Spacecraft Servicing the ISS?
« on: September 11, 2012, 04:24:51 pm »
Japan Spacecraft Servicing the ISS?

Somehow it seems I missed THIS news altogether. But today I checked my email and found that it's about to depart from the ISS

MEDIA ADVISORY: M12-169
NASA TV TO COVER DEPARTURE OF JAPANESE CARGO SHIP FROM SPACE STATION SEPT. 12
Sept. 06, 2012


Joshua Buck
Headquarters, Washington     
202-358-1100
jbuck@nasa.gov

Kelly Humphries
Johnson Space Center, Houston
281-483-5111
kelly.o.humphries@nasa.gov


WASHINGTON -- NASA Television will provide live coverage of the third
Japanese "Kounotori" H-II Transfer Vehicle (HTV) cargo ship's departure from the International Space Station in two broadcasts Wednesday, Sept. 12. The first, covering unberthing, will begin at 6:30 a.m. EDT, and the second, covering release, will begin at 11:30 a.m.

HTV-3, launched by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) July 21, arrived to the orbiting laboratory July 27 with several tons of supplies and experiments. Departure, originally planned for Sept. 6, was delayed to accommodate a second spacewalk by Expedition 32 Flight Engineers Sunita Williams of NASA and Akihiko Hoshide of JAXA on Wednesday.

Hoshide and fellow Expedition 32 Flight Engineer Joe Acaba of NASA will be at the controls of the station's Canadarm2 robotic arm to unbolt and disengage the cargo craft from the station's Harmony module. A few hours later the astronauts will release the cargo craft, which will be moved a safe distance away from the complex. JAXA flight controllers later will fire the spacecraft's engine, initiating its destructive entry back through Earth's atmosphere.

For NASA TV streaming video, downlink and scheduling information,
visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/ntv

For more information about the International Space Station and its
continuing research activities, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/station

   
-end-

Offline zorgon

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Re: Japan Spacecraft Servicing the ISS?
« Reply #1 on: September 11, 2012, 04:36:33 pm »
H-II Transfer Vehicle


ISS020-E-041380 (17 Sept. 2009) --- Backdropped by a cloud-covered part of Earth, the unpiloted Japanese H-II Transfer Vehicle (HTV) approaches the International Space Station. Once the HTV was in range, NASA astronaut Nicole Stott, Canadian Space Agency astronaut Robert Thirsk and European Space Agency astronaut Frank De Winne, all Expedition 20 flight engineers, used the station's robotic arm to grab the cargo craft and attach it to the Earth-facing port of the Harmony node. The attachment was completed at 5:26 p.m. (CDT) on Sept. 17, 2009.

Quote
The H-II Transfer Vehicle (HTV), also called Kounotori ("Oriental Stork" or "White Stork"), is an unmanned resupply spacecraft used to resupply the Kib? Japanese Experiment Module (JEM) and the International Space Station (ISS). The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) has been working on the design since the early 1990s. The first mission, HTV-1, was originally intended to be launched in 2001. It launched at 17:01 UTC on 10 September 2009 on an H-IIB launch vehicle. The name Kounotori was chosen for the HTV by JAXA because "a white stork carries an image of conveying an important thing (a baby, happiness, and other joyful things), therefore, it precisely expresses the HTV's mission to transport essential materials to the ISS".


HTV is four meters across and about 10 meters long, same size as a sightseeing bus. It consists primarily of three parts:
(1) A propulsion module installed at the rear and composed of main engines for orbit change, Reaction Control System (RCS) thrusters for position and attitude control, fuel and oxidizing reagent tanks, and highpressure air tanks;
(2) An avionics module installed in the center part, with electronic equipment for guidance control, power supply, and telecommunications data processing; and
(3) A logistics carrier that stores supplies.


Quote
The HTV is about 10 m long (including maneuvering thrusters at one end) and 4.4 m in diameter. Total mass is 10.5 tonnes, with a 6,000 kilograms (13,000 lb) payload. The HTV are comparable in function to the Russian Progress, European ATV, commercial Dragon, and commercial Cygnus spacecraft, all of which bring or are planned to bring supplies to the ISS. Like the ATV, the HTV carries more than twice the payload of the Progress, but is launched less than half as often. Unlike Progress capsules and ATVs, which dock automatically, HTVs and American commercial crafts approach the ISS in stages, and are signaled by ISS crew or ground control to continue from one holding point to the next. Once they reach their closest parking orbit to the ISS, crew grip them using the robotic arm Canadarm2 and berth them to an open berthing port on the Harmony module.

The HTV has an external payload bay which is accessed by robotic arm after it has been berthed to the ISS. New payloads can be moved directly from the HTV to Kib?'s exposed facility. Internally, it has eight International Standard Payload Racks (ISPRs) in total which can be unloaded by the crew in a shirt-sleeve environment. After the retirement of NASA's Space Shuttle in 2011, HTVs are the only vehicles that can carry ISPRs to the ISS. The four main thrusters. Smaller attitude control thrusters can be seen at the right side of this view of HTV-1.

The baseline configuration, known as the "Mixed Logistics Carrier", uses one pressurized and one unpressurized segment and can carry 7,600 kg of cargo in total and is 9.2 m long. When two pressurized units are used together the cargo decreases slightly to about 7,000 kg, and the overall length is reduced to 7.4 m.

To control the HTV's attitude and to perform the orbital maneuvers such as rendezvous and re-entry, the craft has four 500 N class main thrusters and twenty-eight 110 N class attitude control thrusters. Both use bipropellant, namely monomethylhydrazine (MMH) as fuel and mixed oxides of nitrogen (MON3) as oxidizer. HTV-1, -2, and -4 use Aerojet's 110 N R-1E, Space Shuttle's vernier engine, and the 500 N based on the Apollo spacecraft's R-4D. Later HTVs use 500 N class HBT-5 thrusters and 120 N class HBT-1 thurusters made by Japanese manufacturer IHI Aerospace Co., Ltd. The HTV carries about 2400 kg of propellant in four tanks.

After the unloading process is completed, the HTV will be loaded with waste and undocked. The vehicle will then deorbit and be destroyed during reentry, the debris falling into the Pacific Ocean.


View of the interior of the newly attached Japanese H-II Transfer Vehicle (HTV) docked to the International Space Station, photographed by an Expedition 20 crew member in the Harmony node. The HTV attachment was completed at 5:26 p.m. on Sept. 17, 2009.


The Japanese Kounotori2 H-II Transfer Vehicle (HTV2), docked to the Earth-facing port of the Harmony node and in the grapple of the Candarm2, is featured in this image photographed by an Expedition 26 crew member on the International Space Station. The thin line of Earth's atmosphere and the blackness of space provide the backdrop for the scene.
Date 1 February 2011


HTV-R

Quote
As of 2010, JAXA is planning to add a return capsule option. HTV's Pressurized Cargo is replaced by a reentry module capable of returning 1.6 tonne cargo from ISS to Earth. It is expected to be launched by 2017.


English: A close-up view of a portion of the unpiloted Japanese H-II Transfer Vehicle (HTV) as it arrives at the International Space Station.
Date 17 September 2009


Flights


HTV-2 departing Tanegashima spaceport bound for the International space station

Quote
The first vehicle was launched on an H-IIB rocket, a more powerful version of the earlier H-IIA, at 17:01 GMT on 10 September 2009, from Launch Pad 2 of the Yoshinobu Launch Complex at the Tanegashima Space Center. Six subsequent missions are planned.

H-II Transfer Vehicle From Wikipedia

"JAXA H-II Transfer Vehicle Reference Guide". NASA - [PDF]{Archived]

Kibo Utilization Status Update - [PDF]{Archived]

HTV3 Press Kit - [PDF]{Archived]
« Last Edit: September 11, 2012, 04:50:23 pm by zorgon »

Offline zorgon

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Re: Japan Spacecraft Servicing the ISS?
« Reply #2 on: September 11, 2012, 04:47:47 pm »
Kounotori HTV-1



Quote
HTV-1, also known as the HTV Demonstration Flight or HTV Technical Demonstration Vehicle,[4] was the first Japanese Space Agency (JAXA) H-II Transfer Vehicle, launched in September 2009 to resupply the International Space Station and support the JAXA Kibo (Hope) laboratory or JEM. It was an unmanned cargo spacecraft carrying a mixture of pressurised and unpressurised cargo to the space station. After a 52-day successful mission, HTV departed the ISS on 31 October 2009 after being released by the station's robotic arm. The spacecraft re-entered the Earth's atmosphere on 2 November and disintegrated on re-entry as planned.

Payloads


NASA TV screenshot showing HTV-1 as seen from the International Space Station before grappling 17 September 2009

Quote
HTV-1 carried four and a half tonnes of payload, lower than the six tonne maximum payload of the HTV in order to allow the spacecraft to carry additional propellant and batteries for the in-orbit verification phase of the flight.

In the Unpressurised Logistics Carrier, the HTV-1 carried SMILES (Superconducting Submillimetre-Wave Limb Emission Sounder) and HREP (HICO-RAIDS Experiment Payload), which both were installed in the JEM Exposed Facility on the ISS. The Pressurised Logistics Carrier carried 3.6 tonnes of supplies for the International Space Station. It consisted of food (33% of weight), laboratory experiment materials (20%), robot arm and other hardware for JEM (18%), crew supplies including garments, toiletries, mails and photographs, fluorescent lights, waste buckets (10%), and packing materials (19%).

Carrier rocket


H-IIB Launch Vehicle Test Flight 1, launching H-II Transfer Vehicle (HTV) Demonstration Flight (HTV-1). 2009-09-11 (JST, taken on that day)

Quote
HTV-1 was launched on the maiden flight of the H-IIB carrier rocket. The H-IIB 304 configuration was used, with a type 5S-H payload fairing. Before launch, two Captive Firing Tests were conducted on the rocket which was to launch HTV-1. The first test, which consisted of firing the first stage for ten seconds, was originally scheduled to occur at 02:30 GMT on 27 March 2009, however it was cancelled after the launch pad's coolant system failed to activate. This was later discovered to have been due to a manual supply valve not being open. The test was rescheduled for 1 April, but then postponed again due to a leak in a pipe associated with the launch facility's fire suppression system. The test was rescheduled for 2 April, when it was successfully conducted at 05:00 GMT. Following this, the second test, which involved a 150 second burn of the first stage, was scheduled for 20 April. This was successfully conducted at 04:00 GMT on 22 April, following a two day delay due to unfavourable weather conditions. A ground test, using a battleship mockup of the rocket was subsequently conducted on 11 July.

Operation
Launch and rendezvous with ISS



NASA TV screenshot showing HTV-1 during berthing operations at the International Space Station 17 September 2009

Quote
HTV-1 was successfully launched at 17:01:46 GMT on 10 September 2009, to the initial orbit of 299.9 km apogee / 199.8 km perigee / 51.69° inclination (planned 300.0 ±2 km / 200.0 ±10 km / 51.67 ±0.15°).[20][21] The launch took place from the Yoshinobu Launch Complex at the Tanegashima Space Centre, and was the first to use the second pad of the complex.

Flight operations are chronicled using Flight Day (FD), the ISS crew timeline. Arrival of HTV-1 occurred during Expedition 20, (Gennady Padalka, Commander, Michael Barratt, Nicole Stott, Frank De Winne, Roman Romanenko, and Robert Thirsk). Expedition 21 supervised Departure of HTV-1, (Frank De Winne, Commander, Roman Romanenko, Robert Thirsk, Maksim Surayev, Jeffrey Williams, and Nicole Stott). The station was visited by Spaceflight Participant Guy Laliberté. No Japanese astronaut was present during the attached phase of the HTV-1 to the ISS.The launch day is FD1. On FD3 (September 12), HTV-1 performed the demonstration tests of ISS proximity operation such as collision avoidance manoeuvre. It went successfully and on FD6, ISS Mission Management Team approved the final approach.

On 17 September, HTV-1 rendezvoused with the International Space Station. It arrived at the Approach Initiation Point, 5 kilometres behind the space station at 13:59 UTC, and began its final approach sequence at 15:31. It approached to within 10 metres (33 ft) of the station, from where it was grappled using the Canadarm2 robotic arm of the space station, operated by Nicole Stott. Initial capture occurred at 19:47 GMT, with the procedure being completed at 19:51. Robert Thirsk then used Canadarm2 to move it to a "ready-to-latch" position over the nadir CBM port of the Harmony module. It arrived at this position at 22:08 GMT, and by 22:12 four latches had engaged to hold it in place. Sixteen bolts were subsequently driven in to achieve a hard mate. It remained berthed at the station until October 30

Departure from the ISS and Re-entry


Computer-generated artist’s rendering of the International Space Station after flight HTV1, Japanese H-II Transfer Vehicle.

Quote
Expedition 21 crew members, Nicole Stott, Robert Thirsk and Frank De Winne completed the final steps of preparing for HTV's release from the ISS. These steps included disconnecting the final remaining power jumper line, closing the Node-2 nadir hatch, depressurizing the vestibule & performing leak checks, removing Common Berthing Mechanism bolts and deploying latches and unberthing the HTV-1 with the Space Station Remote Manipulator System.

While passing above the Pacific ocean, the robotic arm of the space station released the HTV-1 positioned at 12m below the station on 30 October 2009. The departure was delayed for one ISS orbit to avoid debris (COSMOS 2421). HTV-1 was loaded with 199 items of discarded equipment & waste of 727.7 kg, as well as 896 kg empty racks, totaling 1,624 kg. At 17:32 (UTC), HTV-1 was released from SSRMS and began its planned maneuvers to leave the station proximity. HTV-1 gradually departed from the ISS orbit by performing several thruster burns and entered to its solo-flight mode.

The HTV flight control team sent commands for three engine burns at 14:55, at 16:25, and at 20:53, November 1 (UTC) to prepare the vehicle's destruction in Earth's atmosphere. The first de-orbit engine burn lasted for approximately 8 minutes and was completed at 15:03, November 1. The second de-orbit engine burn lasted for approximately 9 minutes and was completed at 16:34. Following the second de-orbit maneuver, the HTV-1 was inserted into an elliptic orbit with an altitude of 143 km perigee and 335 km apogee.

HTV-1 began the third and final de-orbit maneuver at 20:53 on November 1 as planned, while the spacecraft was passing over the Central Asia. The maneuver that lasted for about 8 minutes was successfully wrapped up at 21:01 as the spacecraft flew near the southern half of Japan. According to the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, HTV-1's atmospheric re-entry occurred at 21:25. at 120 km above and over the Pacific Ocean just off the coast of New Zealand. The fiery re-entry and disintegration in the Earth's atmosphere marked the successful completion of the HTV-1's 52 day mission.

It is believed that some of the surviving debris from the HTV would have likely fallen in a rectangular area stretching across the Pacific Ocean between New Zealand and South America, according to the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency


The International Space Station photographed through a telescope by astrophotographer Ralf Vandebergh of the Netherlands. Ralf describes his image 'The image shows not only the ISS with very special lighting angle but also it shows activity around the ISS which is often the case. You see the Japanese Cargo Ship HTV-1 in its demonstration flight shortly before docking and just a few hundred meters below the ISS.'
Date:  17 September 2009, 20:08:58
Author: Ralf Vandebergh


HTV-1 From Wikipedia

"HTV-1 Mission Press Kit". JAXA. September 9, 2009 - [PDF][Archived]
« Last Edit: September 11, 2012, 05:03:41 pm by zorgon »

Offline zorgon

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Re: Japan Spacecraft Servicing the ISS?
« Reply #3 on: September 11, 2012, 04:49:57 pm »
Kounotori 2



Quote
Kounotori 2 ("white stork"[4]), also known as HTV-2, is the second Japanese H-II Transfer Vehicle, launched in January 2011 to resupply the International Space Station (ISS). It was launched by the H-IIB Launch Vehicle No. 2 (H-IIB F2) manufactured by MHI and JAXA. After the supplies were unloaded, Kounotori 2 was loaded with waste material from ISS, including used experiment equipment and used clothes. Kounotori 2 was then unberthed and separated from the ISS and burned up upon reentering the atmosphere on 30 March 2011.

Kounotori specifications

Quote
Kounotori is four meters across and about 10 meters long. It consists primarily of three parts: a Propulsion Module, an Avionics Module, and a Logistics Carrier.

The propulsion module is installed at the rear of the Kounotori and is composed of the main engines for orbit change, the Reaction Control System thrusters for positioning and attitude control, fuel and oxidizing reagent tanks, and high pressure air tanks. The avionics module is installed in the center part of Kounotori, with electronic equipment for guidance control, power supply, and telecommunications data processing. The logistics carrier stores supplies.
Cargo items

Kounotori 2 carried 5.3 tonnes of cargo to ISS, consisting of 4 tonnes in the Pressurized Logistics Carrier (PLC) and 1.3 tonnes in the Unpressurized Logistics Carrier (ULC).[2] Cargo in the PLC consists of spare system components (51% of cargo weight), food (24%), science experiment materials (10%), crew commodities (8%), and water (7%). It included the Kobairo (Gradient Heating Furnace) rack and a Multipurpose Small Payload Rack (MSPR).

The Gradient Heating Furnace is a high-temperature electrical furnace that will be used to generate large scale, high-quality crystals from melting materials. The MSPR is a multipurpose rack that will be used for many different functions. The rack consists of three main components – a Work Volume, a Work Bench, and a Small Experiment Area. One experiment that is already planned for the Work Volume, to be launched on a later flight, is the Aquatic Habitat, which will be used to breed small fish in order to study their responses to microgravity and cosmic radiation.

Once Kounotori 2 was berthed to the ISS, both Kobairo and the MSPR were transferred into the Japanese Pressurized Module. The installation and commissioning of these racks will initiate the 2nd phase of the Japanese Experiment Module (JEM) utilization.

Kounotori 2's Unpressurized Logistics Carrier (ULC) carried an EP (Exposed Pallet) with two US ORUs (Orbital Replacement Units) attached: an FHRC (Flex Hose Rotary Coupler) and CTC-4 (Cargo Transportation Container-4). Both the FHRC and CTC-4 were transferred from Kounotori 2's EP to the space station's ELC-4 using the ISS's manipulator "Dextre".


Gradient Heating Furnace, an experiment rack transferred to the International Space Station aboard the Kounotori 2 HTV.


Multi-purpose Small Payload Rack, transferred to the International Space Station aboard the Kounotori 2 HTV.


Cargo Transportation Container, a supplies carrier transported to the International Space Station aboard the Kounotori 2 HTV. It will eventually be placed on the ExPRESS Logistics Carrier 4.

Operation

Quote
Scheduling of Kounotori 2 operation was affected by the Space Shuttle mission STS-133. STS-133 was originally planned to be launched in September 2010, well before Kounotori 2. After several delays, eventually STS-133 was scheduled for February 2011. Since Kounotori 2 needed to depart the ISS after the Space Shuttle to carry away the wastes from the Shuttle's cargo, Kounotori 2's schedule was changed to stay attached to the ISS for two months, close to its design limit, from the initial plan of 40 days. Also, the Dextre robot hand had to keep holding the external payload and wait for the arrival of STS-133, since STS-133 was carrying the Logistics Carrier 4 stowage platform to install the external payload.

Launch and rendezvous with the space station


A close-up view of the International Space Station is featured in this image photographed by an STS-133 crew member on space shuttle Discovery after the station and shuttle began their post-undocking relative separation. Undocking of the two spacecraft occurred at 7 a.m. (EST) on March 7, 2011. Discovery spent eight days, 16 hours, and 46 minutes attached to the orbiting laboratory. 7 March 2011

Quote
Kounotori 2 was initially scheduled to launch on 20 January 2011, but this was postponed for two days due to a bad weather forecast. The H-IIB rocket with Kounotori 2 onboard was successfully launched from Tanegashima Space Center on 22 January 2011, 05:37:57 UTC. It made its rendezvous with the space station for a subsequent docking to the Harmony node's nadir port on 27 January. The space station's Space Station Remote Manipulator System (Canadarm2) grabbed Kounotori 2 at 11:41 GMT as the vehicles flew 220 miles over the southern Indian Ocean. Kounotori 2 was berthed to the space station using the Canadarm2. The Canadarm2 was controlled by Expedition 26 flight engineers Catherine Coleman and Paolo Nespoli using the Robotic Work Station (RWS) in the observatory module Cupola which provided them with increased situational awareness by enabling a 360 degree view of the exterior of the station. The berthing was completed at 14:51 GMT after bolts engaged inside the berthing port to firmly attach the spacecraft to the space station.

Operation while berthed to ISS

Quote
While Kounotori 2 was berthed to the ISS, the crew entered and removed the supplies from the HTV PLC.

Space shuttle mission STS-133 arrived while Kounotori 2 was berthed to ISS. To avoid interference with the payload bay of the shuttle, Kounotori 2 was relocated from Harmony Nadir port to Zenith port. This was done on 18 February, before the launch of STS-133.

After space shuttle Discovery departed the International Space Station and the STS-133 mission was completed, on 10 March 2011, the ISS crew robotically relocated Kounotori 2 back to the nadir port of the Harmony module. The moving operation began at 11:49 UTC. The spacecraft was attached to the Common Berthing Mechanism (CBM) at Harmony's Earth facing nadir port at 16:19 UTC. The CBM bolts were fastened at 17:20. The five hour long moving operation was completed when the space station crew completed the connections of the electrical cables/lines between the Kounotori's Pressurized Logistics Module (PLC) and the Harmony module at 18:55 UTC.

During the stay of Kounotori 2 in the ISS, the M-9.0 earthquake occurred on 11 March. The ground control center in Tsukuba was damaged, and the monitoring operation had to be handed over temporarily to NASA. Mission control room resumed the operation on 22 March.


Backdropped by Earth's horizon and the blackness of space, the International Space Station's Canadarm2 unberths the unpiloted Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's Kounotori2 H-II Transfer Vehicle (HTV2), filled with trash and unneeded items, in preparation for its release from the station. NASA astronaut Cady Coleman and European Space Agency astronaut Paolo Nespoli, both Expedition 27 flight engineers, used the station's robot arm to grapple the HTV2 and unberth it from the Earth-facing port of the Harmony node. The cargo craft was released at 11:46 a.m. (EDT) on March 28, 2011.

Departure and reentry to earth atmosphere

Quote
After an extended two-month stay, on 28 March, Kounotori 2 was detached from the docking port by robotic hand at 15:29 UTC and released at 15:46 UTC. It reentered to the Earth atmosphere at around 03:09 UTC on 30 March. The reentry was logged by a Reentry Breakup Recorder, one of two carried to the station; the other will log the Johannes Kepler ATV to record its return.

Kounotori 2 From Wikipedia






PRESS KIT/OCTOBER 2010 Expedition 25 and 26 A New Decade Begins

Kounotori 2



Quote
Kounotori 2 ("white stork"[4]), also known as HTV-2, is the second Japanese H-II Transfer Vehicle, launched in January 2011 to resupply the International Space Station (ISS). It was launched by the H-IIB Launch Vehicle No. 2 (H-IIB F2) manufactured by MHI and JAXA. After the supplies were unloaded, Kounotori 2 was loaded with waste material from ISS, including used experiment equipment and used clothes. Kounotori 2 was then unberthed and separated from the ISS and burned up upon reentering the atmosphere on 30 March 2011.

Kounotori specifications

Quote
Kounotori is four meters across and about 10 meters long. It consists primarily of three parts: a Propulsion Module, an Avionics Module, and a Logistics Carrier.

The propulsion module is installed at the rear of the Kounotori and is composed of the main engines for orbit change, the Reaction Control System thrusters for positioning and attitude control, fuel and oxidizing reagent tanks, and high pressure air tanks. The avionics module is installed in the center part of Kounotori, with electronic equipment for guidance control, power supply, and telecommunications data processing. The logistics carrier stores supplies.
Cargo items

Kounotori 2 carried 5.3 tonnes of cargo to ISS, consisting of 4 tonnes in the Pressurized Logistics Carrier (PLC) and 1.3 tonnes in the Unpressurized Logistics Carrier (ULC).[2] Cargo in the PLC consists of spare system components (51% of cargo weight), food (24%), science experiment materials (10%), crew commodities (8%), and water (7%). It included the Kobairo (Gradient Heating Furnace) rack and a Multipurpose Small Payload Rack (MSPR).

The Gradient Heating Furnace is a high-temperature electrical furnace that will be used to generate large scale, high-quality crystals from melting materials. The MSPR is a multipurpose rack that will be used for many different functions. The rack consists of three main components – a Work Volume, a Work Bench, and a Small Experiment Area. One experiment that is already planned for the Work Volume, to be launched on a later flight, is the Aquatic Habitat, which will be used to breed small fish in order to study their responses to microgravity and cosmic radiation.

Once Kounotori 2 was berthed to the ISS, both Kobairo and the MSPR were transferred into the Japanese Pressurized Module. The installation and commissioning of these racks will initiate the 2nd phase of the Japanese Experiment Module (JEM) utilization.

Kounotori 2's Unpressurized Logistics Carrier (ULC) carried an EP (Exposed Pallet) with two US ORUs (Orbital Replacement Units) attached: an FHRC (Flex Hose Rotary Coupler) and CTC-4 (Cargo Transportation Container-4). Both the FHRC and CTC-4 were transferred from Kounotori 2's EP to the space station's ELC-4 using the ISS's manipulator "Dextre".


Gradient Heating Furnace, an experiment rack transferred to the International Space Station aboard the Kounotori 2 HTV.


Multi-purpose Small Payload Rack, transferred to the International Space Station aboard the Kounotori 2 HTV.


Cargo Transportation Container, a supplies carrier transported to the International Space Station aboard the Kounotori 2 HTV. It will eventually be placed on the ExPRESS Logistics Carrier 4.

Operation

Quote
Scheduling of Kounotori 2 operation was affected by the Space Shuttle mission STS-133. STS-133 was originally planned to be launched in September 2010, well before Kounotori 2. After several delays, eventually STS-133 was scheduled for February 2011. Since Kounotori 2 needed to depart the ISS after the Space Shuttle to carry away the wastes from the Shuttle's cargo, Kounotori 2's schedule was changed to stay attached to the ISS for two months, close to its design limit, from the initial plan of 40 days. Also, the Dextre robot hand had to keep holding the external payload and wait for the arrival of STS-133, since STS-133 was carrying the Logistics Carrier 4 stowage platform to install the external payload.

Launch and rendezvous with the space station


A close-up view of the International Space Station is featured in this image photographed by an STS-133 crew member on space shuttle Discovery after the station and shuttle began their post-undocking relative separation. Undocking of the two spacecraft occurred at 7 a.m. (EST) on March 7, 2011. Discovery spent eight days, 16 hours, and 46 minutes attached to the orbiting laboratory. 7 March 2011

Quote
Kounotori 2 was initially scheduled to launch on 20 January 2011, but this was postponed for two days due to a bad weather forecast. The H-IIB rocket with Kounotori 2 onboard was successfully launched from Tanegashima Space Center on 22 January 2011, 05:37:57 UTC. It made its rendezvous with the space station for a subsequent docking to the Harmony node's nadir port on 27 January. The space station's Space Station Remote Manipulator System (Canadarm2) grabbed Kounotori 2 at 11:41 GMT as the vehicles flew 220 miles over the southern Indian Ocean. Kounotori 2 was berthed to the space station using the Canadarm2. The Canadarm2 was controlled by Expedition 26 flight engineers Catherine Coleman and Paolo Nespoli using the Robotic Work Station (RWS) in the observatory module Cupola which provided them with increased situational awareness by enabling a 360 degree view of the exterior of the station. The berthing was completed at 14:51 GMT after bolts engaged inside the berthing port to firmly attach the spacecraft to the space station.

Operation while berthed to ISS

Quote
While Kounotori 2 was berthed to the ISS, the crew entered and removed the supplies from the HTV PLC.

Space shuttle mission STS-133 arrived while Kounotori 2 was berthed to ISS. To avoid interference with the payload bay of the shuttle, Kounotori 2 was relocated from Harmony Nadir port to Zenith port. This was done on 18 February, before the launch of STS-133.

After space shuttle Discovery departed the International Space Station and the STS-133 mission was completed, on 10 March 2011, the ISS crew robotically relocated Kounotori 2 back to the nadir port of the Harmony module. The moving operation began at 11:49 UTC. The spacecraft was attached to the Common Berthing Mechanism (CBM) at Harmony's Earth facing nadir port at 16:19 UTC. The CBM bolts were fastened at 17:20. The five hour long moving operation was completed when the space station crew completed the connections of the electrical cables/lines between the Kounotori's Pressurized Logistics Module (PLC) and the Harmony module at 18:55 UTC.

During the stay of Kounotori 2 in the ISS, the M-9.0 earthquake occurred on 11 March. The ground control center in Tsukuba was damaged, and the monitoring operation had to be handed over temporarily to NASA. Mission control room resumed the operation on 22 March.


Backdropped by Earth's horizon and the blackness of space, the International Space Station's Canadarm2 unberths the unpiloted Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's Kounotori2 H-II Transfer Vehicle (HTV2), filled with trash and unneeded items, in preparation for its release from the station. NASA astronaut Cady Coleman and European Space Agency astronaut Paolo Nespoli, both Expedition 27 flight engineers, used the station's robot arm to grapple the HTV2 and unberth it from the Earth-facing port of the Harmony node. The cargo craft was released at 11:46 a.m. (EDT) on March 28, 2011.

Departure and reentry to earth atmosphere

Quote
After an extended two-month stay, on 28 March, Kounotori 2 was detached from the docking port by robotic hand at 15:29 UTC and released at 15:46 UTC. It reentered to the Earth atmosphere at around 03:09 UTC on 30 March. The reentry was logged by a Reentry Breakup Recorder, one of two carried to the station; the other will log the Johannes Kepler ATV to record its return.

Kounotori 2 From Wikipedia

PRESS KIT/OCTOBER 2010 Expedition 25 and 26 A New Decade Begins- [PDF]{Archived]

JAXA (20 January 2011). "HTV2 (KOUNOTORI 2) Mission Press Kit"- [PDF]{Archived]


Offline zorgon

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Re: Japan Spacecraft Servicing the ISS?
« Reply #4 on: September 11, 2012, 05:15:17 pm »
Kounotori 3



Quote
Kounotori 3 ("white stork"), also known as HTV-3, is the third Japanese H-II Transfer Vehicle. It was launched on 21 July 2012 to resupply the International Space Station (ISS) aboard the H-IIB Launch Vehicle No. 3 (H-IIB F3) manufactured by MHI and JAXA. Kounotori 3 arrived at the ISS on 27 July 2012, and Expedition 32 Flight Engineer and JAXA astronaut Akihiko Hoshide used the International Space Station’s Canadarm2 robotic arm to install Kounotori 3, to its docking port on the Earth-facing side of the Harmony module at 14:34 GMT.

After the supplies are unloaded, Kounotori 3 will be loaded with waste material from ISS, including used experiment equipment and used clothes. Kounotori 3 will then be unberthed from the ISS and burn up upon reentering the atmosphere.

Kounotori 3 specifications

Quote
Major changes from previous Kounotori are:

    Change of thrusters to the ones by IHI Aerospace: 500 N class HBT-5 and 120 N class HBT-1 thrusters
    Change of communication equipment
    First use of EP-MP (Exposed Pallet - Multi-Purpose)
    Simplification of Exposed Palette holding mechanism

Ground operation was improved to allow more late access cargo.

Cargo items

Quote
Kounotori 3 carries approximately 4.6 tonnes cargo, consisting of 3.5 tonnes in pressurized compartment and 1.1 tonnes in unpressurized compartment.

Pressurized cargo consists of system equipment (61%), science experiments (20%), food (15%), and crew commodities (4%). It includes: Aquatic Habitat (AQH),[5] JEM Small-Satellite Orbital Deployer (J-SSOD), five CubeSats (RAIKO, FITSAT-1, WE WISH, F-1, TechEdSat), i-Ball and REBR reentry data recorders, ISS SERVIR Environmental Research and Visualization System (ISERV).[6] Additionally, loaded onto Kounotori 3's Resupply Racks was NASA’s Water Pump Assembly (WPA) catalytic reactor to replace the former unit that broke in March 2012 in orbit and a cooling water circulation pump to replace the old unit in the Japanese Experiment Module (Kibo) that also broke at the end of March.

The high-tech aquarium (AQH) can be used to house small fish for up to 90 days. "As a result, aquatic breeding over three generations, from fish parents to grandkids, previously impossible in space shuttle experiments, has become a reality," NASA said in a press kit. The AQH experimental device will allow scientists and researchers to observe the birth of space aquatic creatures that have never experienced Earth's gravity, enabling them to better understand how the space environment affects animals beyond generations in preparation for potential long-term space travel in future. Medaka (Oryzias latipes) will be bred and observed in the AQH experimental device.

The J-SSOD and five CubeSats are part of an technology experiment to test the feasibility of whether small satellites can be released without spacewalks. Using this method, satellites contained in bags will be launched facilitating future satellite design.

During the destructive re-entry at the end of the Kounotori 3 mission, i-Ball will attempt to collect re-entry data. The globular- shaped i-Ball, a Re-entry Data Recorder produced in Japan, will descend using a parachute after withstanding the high heat of re-entry using ablative shielding and will send data after splashdown via an Iridium satellite. Although i-Ball will stay afloat for a while for data transmission, it will sink in the water eventually and will not be recovered.

Unpressurized cargo consists of Multi-Mission Consoildated Equipment (MCE) and SCaN Testbed.


The Aquatic Habitat (AQH) is an experimental device was carried to the International Space Station on board JAXA's Kounotori 3 spacecraft. According to a NASA press kit, AQH will allow viewing of the birth of space aquatic creatures that have never experienced the gravity force of Earth, and help scientists to understand how the space environment affects animals beyond generations in preparation for potential long-term space travel in future.

Operation
Launch



The H-IIB launch vehicle carrying Japan's Kounotori cargo craft lifts off from the Tanegashima Space Center. 22 July 2012

Quote
Kounotori 3 was launched aboard H-IIB rocket from Tanegashima Space Center at 02:06:18 UTC (11:06:18 JST) on 21 July 2012. The rocket flew smoothly arching out over the Pacific Ocean on a southeasterly trajectory 51.6 degrees titled to the Equator. Two minutes after liftoff, the four strap-on solid rocket boosters separated from the launch vehicle and fell away in pairs as planned. The second stage then ignited and continued the push Kounotori 3 to orbit. Four minutes into the flight the H-IIB jettisoned the payload fairing and the first stage. After igniting the second stage engine, the H-IIB inserted Kounotori 3 into its preferred initial orbit with separation confirmed at 14 minutes and 53 minutes after liftoff. Following the successful separation of Kounotori 3, the second stage engines were re-ignited for another time to perform a controlled re-entry test. The second stage dropped into the South Pacific Ocean shortly afterwards. There were no apparent launch problems during the entire flight of the H-IIB rocket.

At the time of the H-IIB launch, the weather was rainy, a wind speed was 2.3 m/s from the west-northwest and the temperature was 27.1 °C.

Berthing


The unpiloted Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) H-II Transfer Vehicle (HTV-3) is featured in this image photographed by an Expedition 32 crew member shortly after the HTV-3 was berthed to the Earth-facing port of the International Space Station's Harmony node using the Canadarm2 robotic arm. The attachment was completed at 10:34 a.m. (EDT) on July 27, 2012. Earth's horizon and the blackness of space provide the backdrop for the scene. 27 July 2012

Quote
n orbit, Kounotori 3 began a week-long phasing period where its orbit was gradually adjusted. Kounotori 3 rendezvous burns were performed using four newly designed Japanese engines, as the two previous HTVs used engines made by US company Aerojet. During the same period Kounotori 3 under went a series of pre-docking tests to precisely align the spacecraft with the ISS.

The capture and berthing operations of HTV-3 took place on the 27 July 2012. Upon reaching the communications zone, the spacecraft began to use the Proximity Operations system located in the JEM module on the ISS, to communicate with the station. Once Kounotori 3 was within about 30 feet and began stationkeeping, Mission Control in Houston issued the space station crew the "GO" for capture of the spacecraft with the robotic arm of the space station. That command was radioed up by CAPCOM Catherine Coleman, who actually performed the capture of Kounotori 2 in 2011.

Kounotori 3 was placed into free-drift and NASA astronaut Joseph Acaba, operating the station's robot arm, locked onto a grapple fixture at 12:23 GMT. JAXA astronaut and flight engineer of Expedition 32/33 Akihiko Hoshide then resumed berthing operations, moving the spacecraft to the nadir port (Earth facing) of the space station's Harmony module. This marked the first time that a Japanese astronaut assisted in the capture of a Japanese spacecraft. Sixteen remotely controlled bolts were gradually electrically driven in the common berthing mechanism at 14:24 GMT to finish the attachment of Kounotori 3 to the ISS at 14:34 GMT.

Expedition 32 crew members opened the hatch of Kounotori 3 at 17:23 JST on July 28, 2012 and entered Kounotori 3's Pressurized Logistics Carrier (PLC) to begin removing cargo supplies from inside the PLC.

Exposed Palette, which carried MCE and SCaN Testbed, was extracted by ISS's robotic arm from Kounotori's Unpressurized Logistics Carrier and moved to the Kibo's Explosed Facility on August 6. After MCE and SCaN Testbed are removed from the palette and installed to their places on ISS, Exposed Palette was returned to Kounotori on August 10.


The unpiloted Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) H-II Transfer Vehicle (HTV-3) approaches the International Space Station. The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency launched HTV-3 aboard an H-IIB launch vehicle from the Tanegashima Space Center in southern Japan at 10:06 p.m. EDT July 20 (11:06 a.m. July 21, Japan time). The HTV is bringing 7,000 pounds of cargo including food and clothing for the crew members, an aquatic habitat experiment, a remote-controlled Earth-observation camera for environmental studies, a catalytic reactor for the station's water regeneration system and a Japanese cooling water recirculation pump. The vehicle will remain at the space station until Sept. 6 when, like its predecessors, it will be detached from the Harmony node by Canadarm2 and released for a fiery re-entry over the Pacific Ocean. 27 July 2012

Kounotori 3From Wikipedia

NASA (July 2012). "Space Station Missions Expeditions 32.33.34 PRESS KIT" - [PDF]{Archived]



Offline zorgon

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Re: Japan Spacecraft Servicing the ISS?
« Reply #5 on: September 11, 2012, 05:22:49 pm »
Seems its been really busy up at the ISS despite the Shuttle being cancelled. I guess since its not American launches anymore, the media has no interest...

The Japanese cargo Ships start during the Expedition 20 Mission so a quick recap and links here

Expedition 20




Expedition 20 landed on Oct. 11, 2009

Launch Vehicle:
Soyuz TMA-15

Launch:
› May 27, 2009, 6:34 a.m. EDT

Docking:
› May 29, 2009, 8:34 a.m. EDT

Spacewalks:
› June 5, 2009
› June 10, 2009

Landing:
› Oct. 11, 2009, 12:32 a.m. EDT


Expedition 20 - NASA

Expedition 19/20 Press Kit (7.0 Mb PDF)


[youtube]5Wz5KEdLAZM[/youtube]




Expedition 21




Expedition 21 landed on Dec. 1, 2009. For the latest news and information on the International Space Station, visit the main station page.

Expedition 21 began with the Soyuz TMA-14 undocking in October 2009. Two new crew members arrived on the Soyuz TMA-16 for the handover before the previous crew departed.

Soyuz TMA-15
Crew: Roman Romanenko, Frank De Winne, Robert Thirsk
Launch:
› May 27, 2009, 6:34 a.m. EDT
Docking:
› May 29, 2009, 8:34 a.m. EDT
Landing:
› Dec. 1, 2009, 2:15 a.m. EST

Soyuz TMA-16
Crew: Jeff Williams, Maxim Suraev, Guy Laliberté
Launch:
› Sept. 30, 2009, 3:14 a.m. EDT
Docking:
› Oct. 2, 2009, 4:37 a.m. EDT
Landing:
› March 18, 2010, 7:24 a.m. EDT


Expedition 21 - NASA

Expedition 21/22 Press Kit (6.1 Mb PDF)


[youtube]WN0dIloI2yA[/youtube]
« Last Edit: September 11, 2012, 05:32:44 pm by zorgon »

Offline zorgon

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Re: Japan Spacecraft Servicing the ISS?
« Reply #6 on: September 11, 2012, 05:29:30 pm »
Expedition 22




Expedition 22 landed on March 18, 2010. For the latest news and information on the International Space Station, visit the main station page.

Expedition 22 began with the Soyuz TMA-15 undocking on Nov. 30, 2009. Three new crew members arrived at the station on the Soyuz TMA-17 on Dec. 22, 2009.

Soyuz TMA-16
Crew: Jeff Williams, Maxim Suraev
Launch:
› Sept. 30, 2009, 3:14 a.m. EDT
Docking:
› Oct. 2, 2009, 4:37 a.m. EDT
Landing:
› March 18, 2010, 7:24 a.m. EDT

Soyuz TMA-17
Crew: Oleg Kotov, Soichi Noguchi, T.J. Creamer
Launch:
› Dec. 20, 2009, 4:52 p.m. EST
Docking:
› Dec. 22, 2009, 5:48 p.m. EST
Landing:
› June 1, 2010, 11:25 p.m EST

Spacewalks:
› Jan. 14, 2010


Expedition 22 - NASA

[youtube]ofiI8Nb3OV4[/youtube]

[youtube]akVtbCz41OY[/youtube]




Expedition 23




Expedition 23 landed on June 1, 2010. For the latest news and information on the International Space Station, visit the main station page

Expedition 23 began with the Soyuz TMA-16 undocking on March 18, 2010. Three new crew members arrived shortly thereafter on Soyuz TMA-18.

Soyuz TMA-17
Crew: Oleg Kotov, Soichi Noguchi, T.J. Creamer
Launch:
› Dec. 20, 2009, 4:52 p.m. EST
Docking:
› Dec. 22, 2009, 5:48 p.m. EST
Landing:
› June 1, 2010, 11:25 p.m EST

Soyuz TMA-18
Crew: Alexander Skvortsov, Mikhail Kornienko, Tracy Caldwell Dyson
Launch:
› April 2, 2010, 12:04 a.m. EDT
Docking:
April 4, 2010, 1:25 am EDT
Landing:
Sept. 2010


Expedition 23 - NASA

[youtube]Uul7nB7ZUtU[/youtube]




Expedition 24




Expedition 24 landed on Sept. 25, 2010. For the latest news and information on the International Space Station, visit the main station page

Expedition 24 began with the Soyuz TMA-17 undocking in June 1, 2010. Three new crew members arrived shortly thereafter on Soyuz TMA-19.

Soyuz TMA-18
Crew: Alexander Skvortsov, Mikhail Kornienko, Tracy Caldwell Dyson
Launch:
› April 2, 2010, 12:04 a.m. EDT
Docking:
April 4, 2010, 1:25 a.m. EDT
Landing:
Sept. 25, 2010, 1:23 a.m. EDT

Soyuz TMA-19
Crew: Fyodor Yurchikhin, Shannon Walker, Doug Wheelock
Launch:
› June 15, 2010, 5:35 p.m. EDT
Docking:
› June 17, 2010, 6:21 p.m. EDT
Landing:
Nov. 25, 2010, 11:46 p.m. EST (Nov. 26, 10:46 a.m. Kazakhstan time)

Spacewalks:
› Aug. 16, 2010
› Aug. 11, 2010
› Aug. 7, 2010
› July 27, 2010


Expedition 24 - NASA

Expedition 23/24 Press Kit (11.5 Mb PDF)


[youtube]R7wPaVpLI4o[/youtube]
« Last Edit: September 11, 2012, 05:37:59 pm by zorgon »

Offline zorgon

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Re: Japan Spacecraft Servicing the ISS?
« Reply #7 on: September 11, 2012, 05:40:43 pm »
Expedition 25




Expedition 25 landed on Nov. 25, 2010. For the latest news and information on the International Space Station, visit the main station page.

Expedition 25 began with the Soyuz TMA-18 undocking in September 2010. Three new crew members arrived October 2010 on Soyuz TMA-01M.

Soyuz TMA-19
Crew: Fyodor Yurchikhin, Shannon Walker, Doug Wheelock
Launch:
› June 15, 2010, 5:35 p.m. EDT
Docking:
› June 17, 2010, 6:21 p.m. EDT
Landing:
Nov. 25, 2010, 11:46 p.m. EST (Nov. 26, 10:46 a.m. Kazakhstan time)

Soyuz TMA-01M
Crew: Alexander Kaleri, Scott Kelly, Oleg Skripochka
Launch:
› Oct. 7, 2010, 7:10 p.m. EDT
Docking:
› Oct. 9, 2010, 8:01 p.m. EDT
Landing:
March 16, 2011, 3:54 a.m. EDT (1:54 p.m. Kazakhstan time)


Expedition 25 - NASA

Expedition 25/26 Press Kit (6.7 Mb PDF)

View graphic of Soyuz TMA-01M


[youtube]J14do2LamhE[/youtube]




Expedition 26




Expedition 26 landed on March 16, 2011. For the latest news and information on the International Space Station, visit the main station page

Expedition 26 begins with the Soyuz TMA-19 undocking in November 2010. Three new crew members will arrive shortly thereafter on Soyuz TMA-20.

Soyuz TMA-01M
Crew: Alexander Kaleri, Scott Kelly, Oleg Skripochka
Launch:
› Oct. 7, 2010, 7:10 p.m. EDT
Docking:
› Oct. 9, 2010, 8:01 p.m. EDT
Landing:
› March 16, 2011, 3:54 a.m. EDT (1:54 p.m. Kazakhstan time)

Soyuz TMA-20
Crew: Dmitry Kondratyev, Catherine Coleman, Paolo Nespoli
Launch:
› Dec. 15, 2010, 2:09 p.m. EST
Docking:
› Dec. 17, 2010, 3:11 p.m. EST
Landing: May 23, 2011


Expedition 26 - NASA

[youtube]KZ2x3DKE-rE[/youtube]




Expedition 27





Expedition 27 began with the Soyuz TMA-01M undocking on March 16, 2011. Three new crew members arrived April 6, 2011 on Soyuz TMA-21.

Soyuz TMA-20
Crew: Dmitry Kondratyev, Catherine Coleman, Paolo Nespoli

Launch:
› Dec. 15, 2010, 2:09 p.m. EST (Dec. 16, 1:09 a.m. Kazakhstan time)
Docking:
› Dec. 17, 2010, 3:11 p.m. EST
Landing:
› May 23, 2011, 10:27 p.m. EDT (May 24, 8:27 a.m. Kazakhstan time)

Soyuz TMA-21
Crew: Andrey Borisenko, Ron Garan, Alexander Samokutyaev

Launch:
April 4, 2011, 6:18 p.m. EDT
Docking:
April 6, 2011, 7:09 p.m. EDT
Landing:
› Sept. 15, 2011, 11:59 p.m. EDT (Sept. 16, 9:59 a.m. Kazakhstan time)


Expedition 27 - NASA

Expedition 27/28 Press Kit (4.7 MB PDF)


[youtube]urOu6AM_cCc[/youtube]

[youtube]b31iS1EeYY0[/youtube]




Expedition 28





Expedition 28 began after the Soyuz TMA-20 undocked May 23, 2011. Three new crew members arrived June 9, 2011, on the Soyuz TMA-02M.

Soyuz TMA-21
Crew: Andrey Borisenko, Ron Garan, Alexander Samokutyaev

Launch:
April 4, 2011, 6:18 p.m. EDT
Docking:
April 6, 2011, 7:18 p.m. EDT
Landing:
› Sept. 15, 2011, 11:59 p.m. EDT (Sept. 16, 9:59 a.m. Kazakhstan time)

Soyuz TMA-02M
Crew: Sergei Volkov, Mike Fossum, Satoshi Furukawa

Launch:
› June 7, 2011 4:12 p.m. EDT (June 8, 2:12 a.m. Baikonur time)
Docking:
June 9, 2011, 5:18 p.m. EDT
Landing:
› Nov. 21, 2011 9:26 p.m. EST (Nov. 22, 8:26 a.m. Baikonur time)

Spacewalks:
› Aug. 3, 2011


Expedition 28 - NASA

[youtube]QCmLd3UZTcE[/youtube]

ISS Expedition 28 - Progress 44 M-12M Launch Failure - August 24, 2011

Quote
The ISS Progress 44 spacecraft and nearly 3 tons of supplies for the International Space Station were lost Wednesday when the launch vehicle experienced a failure during the climb to orbit.

The launch took place as scheduled at 9 a.m. EDT Wednesday from Baikonur Cosmodrome (7 p.m. Baikonur time). However, Mission Control Moscow reported communication with the Progress 44 was lost 5 minutes, 50 seconds after its launch.

"At 1300 (GMT), we lifted off, following 320 seconds of flight there was a failure in the upper stage of the launch vehicle. We lost comm(unications) after a while with the launch vehicle and we did not report stage separation," said Maxim Matuchen, the head of the Russian Mission Control Center.

International Space Station Program Manager Michael Suffredini held a news conference at the Johnson Space Center discussing the loss of the resupply vehicle and the impact it may have on the program and the crew. There are plenty of supplies to support the crew, and the station is in a good configuration. However, a Russian commission will be formed to investigate the root cause of the vehicle loss which may affect upcoming Russian spacecraft launches.

The Expedition 28 crew continued to prepare for the planned departure of three crew members, although the exact date of that upcoming departure is being reviewed following today's Progress loss, and continued with science activities.

Commander Andrey Borisenko and Flight Engineers Alexander Samokutyaev and Ron Garan prepared for their scheduled departure on Sept. 7. They stowed gear on the Soyuz vehicle in which they will return to Earth. Mission managers are discussing the possibility of extending their stay on orbit to maintain six-person crew operations on the station as options for the launch of the next three crew members, including NASA's Dan Burbank, are considered.

Borisenko and Samokutyaev also donned lower body negative pressure suits that draw body fluids towards the feet. This is standard protocol for cosmonauts preparing to return to Earth after long duration missions in space. Garan gathered personal items and clothing for stowage and disposal.

Flight Engineer Mike Fossum stowed hardware from SHERE, or the Shear History Extensional Rheology Experiment, after the completion of last week's experiment runs. SHERE investigates the stress and strain response of a polymer fluid being stretched in microgravity. Fossum also cleaned up storage containers which hold experiment samples inside a science freezer.

Flight Engineer Sergei Volkov set up hardware for the RUSALKA experiment. Utilizing a camera and spectrum analyzer RUSALKA is testing procedures that will measure levels of carbon dioxide and methane in the Earth's atmosphere.

Flight Engineer and Japanese astronaut Satoshi Furukawa collected water samples from the Potable Water Dispenser for in-flight processing and analysis. The water will be tested for microbe and coliform detection using tools from the Environmental Health System.

[youtube]GgCY3-jqIfE[/youtube]
« Last Edit: September 11, 2012, 06:00:10 pm by zorgon »

Offline zorgon

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Re: Japan Spacecraft Servicing the ISS?
« Reply #8 on: September 11, 2012, 05:41:01 pm »
Expedition 29





Expedition 29 began with the Soyuz TMA-21 undocking in September 2011. Three new crew members arrived in November on Soyuz TMA-22.

Soyuz TMA-02M
Crew: Sergei Volkov, Mike Fossum, Satoshi Furukawa

Launch:
› June 7, 2011 4:12 p.m. EDT (June 8, 2:12 a.m. Baikonur time)
Docking:
June 9, 2011, 5:18 p.m. EDT
Landing:
› Nov. 21, 2011 9:26 p.m. EST (Nov. 22, 8:26 a.m. Baikonur time)

Soyuz TMA-22
Crew: Anton Shkaplerov, Anatoly Ivanishin, Dan Burbank

Launch:
› Nov. 13, 11:14 p.m. EST (Nov. 14, 11:14 a.m. Baikonur time)
Docking:
› Nov. 16, 2011, 12:24 a.m. EST
Landing:
April 27, 2012, 7:45 a.m. EDT


Expedition 29 - NASA

[youtube]-LwNaMMMFws[/youtube]




Expedition 30





Expedition 30 begins with the Soyuz TMA-02M undocking in November 2011. Three new crew members will arrive shortly thereafter on Soyuz TMA-03M.

Soyuz TMA-22
Crew: Anton Shkaplerov, Anatoly Ivanishin, Dan Burbank

Launch:
› Nov. 13, 11:14 p.m. EST (Nov. 14, 11:14 a.m. Baikonur time)
Docking:
› Nov. 16, 2011, 12:24 a.m. EST
Landing:
April 27, 2012, 7:45 a.m. EDT

Soyuz TMA-03M
Crew: Oleg Kononenko, Andre Kuipers, Don Pettit

Launch:
› Dec. 21, 2011, 8:16 a.m. EST
Docking:
› Dec. 23, 2011, 10:22 a.m. EST
Landing: July 1, 2012


Expedition 30 - NASA

Expedition 30/31 Press Kit (6.3 MB PDF)


[youtube]nWd3-oh2Dbo[/youtube]

[youtube]tOn3K9u1JbU[/youtube]




Expedition 31





Expedition 31 begins with the Soyuz TMA-22 undocking in April 2012. Three new crew members will arrive shortly thereafter on Soyuz TMA-04M.

Soyuz TMA-03M
Crew: Oleg Kononenko, Andre Kuipers, Don Pettit

Launch:
› Dec. 21, 2011, 8:16 a.m. EST
Docking:
› Dec. 23, 2011, 10:22 a.m. EST
Landing:
› July 1, 2012, 4:14 a.m. EDT

Soyuz TMA-04M
Crew: Joe Acaba, Gennady Padalka, Sergei Revin

Launch:
› May 14, 2012, 11:01 p.m. EDT
Docking:
› May 17, 2012, 12:36 a.m. EDT
Landing: Sept. 16, 2012, 10:54 p.m. EDT


Expedition 31 - NASA

[youtube]FUwZPaw4F9A[/youtube]

[youtube]N2d9IZKKVnw[/youtube]




Expedition 32





Expedition 32 begins with the Soyuz TMA-03M undocking in July 2012. Three new crew members will arrive shortly thereafter on Soyuz TMA-05M.

Soyuz TMA-04M
Crew: Joe Acaba, Gennady Padalka, Sergei Revin

Launch:
› May 14, 2012, 11:01 p.m. EDT
Docking:
› May 17, 2012, 12:36 a.m. EDT
Landing: Sept. 16, 2012, 10:54 p.m. EDT

Soyuz TMA-05M
Crew: Sunita Williams, Yuri Malenchenko, Akihiko Hoshide

Launch:
› July 14, 2012, 10:40 p.m. EDT
Docking:
› July 17, 2012, 12:51 a.m. EDT
Landing: November 12, 2012


Expedition 32 - NASA

Mission Summary (4.7 MB PDF)

Expedition 32/33/34 Press Kit (7.3 MB PDF)


[youtube]gyLsqZY1j78[/youtube]

[youtube]rcHtn9p7DWo[/youtube]
« Last Edit: September 11, 2012, 06:14:00 pm by zorgon »

Offline zorgon

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Re: Japan Spacecraft Servicing the ISS?
« Reply #9 on: September 11, 2012, 05:41:21 pm »
Expedition 33





Expedition 33 begins with the Soyuz TMA-04M undocking in September 2012. Three new crew members will arrive shortly thereafter on Soyuz TMA-06M.

Soyuz TMA-05M
Crew: Sunita Williams, Yuri Malenchenko, Akihiko Hoshide

Launch: July 14, 2012
Landing: November 12, 2012

Soyuz TMA-06M
Crew: Kevin Ford, Oleg Novitskiy and Evgeny Tarelkin

Launch: October 2012
Landing: March 2013


Expedition 33 - NASA

[youtube]oWQ1dkaMJik[/youtube]

[youtube]5LEEA7QCEgQ[/youtube]




Expedition 34





Expedition 34 begins with the Soyuz TMA-05M undocking in October 2012. Three new crew members will arrive shortly thereafter on Soyuz TMA-07M.

Soyuz TMA-06M
Crew: Kevin Ford, Oleg Novitskiy, Evgeny Tarelkin
Launch: October 2012
Landing: March 2013

Soyuz TMA-07M
Crew: Chris Hadfield, Tom Marshburn, Roman Romanenko
Launch: Dec. 5, 2012
Landing: May 2013


Expedition 34 - NASA




Expedition 35



Expedition 35 begins with the Soyuz TMA-06M undocking in March 2013. Three new crew members will arrive shortly thereafter on Soyuz TMA-08M.

Soyuz TMA-07M
Crew: Chris Hadfield, Tom Marshburn, Roman Romanenko
Launch: Dec. 5, 2012
Landing: May 2013

Soyuz TMA-08M
Crew: Chris Cassidy, Pavel Vinogradov, Alexander Misurkin
Launch: March 2013
Landing: September 2013


Expedition 35 - NASA




Expedition 36



Expedition 36 begins with the undocking of Soyuz TMA-07M in May 2013. Three new crew members will arrive aboard Soyuz TMA-09M, which is scheduled to launch in May 2013.

Soyuz TMA-08M
Crew: Chris Cassidy, Pavel Vinogradov, Alexander Misurkin
Launch: March 2013
Landing: September 2013

Soyuz TMA-09M
Crew: Karen Nyberg, Maxim Suraev. Luca Parmitano
Launch: May 2013
Landing: November 2013


Expedition 36 - NASA
« Last Edit: September 11, 2012, 06:23:38 pm by zorgon »

Offline micjer

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Re: Japan Spacecraft Servicing the ISS?
« Reply #10 on: September 12, 2012, 05:53:40 am »
Great info Z.

Sorry couldn't resist posting this.  The cargo ship reminded me of this.  Too bad they aren't going to return it for a deposit.  Says it will burn up in re entry.   Such a throw away society.


[youtube]LdDcHVLQVzk[/youtube]

« Last Edit: September 12, 2012, 05:55:30 am by micjer »
The only people in the world, it seems, who believe in conspiracy theory, are those of us that have studied it.    Pat Shannon

Offline stealthyaroura

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Re: Japan Spacecraft Servicing the ISS?
« Reply #11 on: September 13, 2012, 09:40:26 am »
Absolutely Epic Thread there Zorgon, i had no idea this Japanese venture existed.
shame it was to be a one way trip only, and a burn up on re-entry.
Think of all the space souvenirs we could of had.
Still reading the thread, not seen the price of the "pod" but it can't of been cheap.
 :D
Nikola Tesla humanitarian / Genius.
never forget this great man who gave so much
& asked for nothing but to let electricity be free for all.

Offline Somamech

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Re: Japan Spacecraft Servicing the ISS?
« Reply #12 on: September 13, 2012, 10:40:31 am »
Yeah Ditto, awesome thread Z  ;)


Expedition 24 Patch make me all  :o



Why ?Howard Menger:





 


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