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  JAXA's H-II Transfer Vehicle Kounotori-7

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Author Topic:   JAXA's H-II Transfer Vehicle Kounotori-7
Robert Pearlman
Editor

Posts: 42988
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999

posted 09-06-2018 10:55 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Robert Pearlman   Click Here to Email Robert Pearlman     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
NASA release
JAXA's H-II Transfer Vehicle (HTV-7) Kounotori-7

A Japanese cargo ship loaded with more than five tons of supplies, water, spare parts and experiments is scheduled to launch to the International Space Station at 6:32 p.m. EDT Monday, Sept. 10 (7:32 a.m. Sept. 11 in Japan).

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's (JAXA) unpiloted H-II Transport Vehicle-7 (HTV-7) is scheduled to lift off from the Tanegashima Space Center in southern Japan nine years to the day after the flight of the first HTV cargo spacecraft.

HTV-7 will arrive at the space station Friday, Sept. 14. Expedition 56 Commander Drew Feustel and Flight Engineer Serena Auñón-Chancellor of NASA will operate the station's Canadarm2 robotic arm to capture the spacecraft as it approaches from below. Flight Engineer Alexander Gerst of ESA (European Space Agency) will monitor HTV-7 systems during its approach to the orbiting complex. Capture is scheduled for around 7:40 a.m. Spacecraft installation to the space station's Harmony module will be done by ground controllers operating Canadarm2 remotely.

Named Kounotori, "White Stork" in Japanese, the unpiloted cargo spacecraft is loaded with six new lithium-ion batteries and adapter plates to replace aging nickel-hydrogen batteries that make up part of the station's electrical power system. The batteries will be replaced through a series of robotic operations and two spacewalks planned for Sept. 20 and 26.

Also aboard HTV-7 is a small reentry capsule designed by JAXA that will be assembled by the station crew prior to HTV-7's departure this fall. The cone-shaped capsule, measuring 2 feet high and 2.7 feet wide, is an experimental technology demonstration designed to test JAXA's ability to return small Japanese science payloads from the station for expedited delivery to researchers. Following HTV-7's departure from the station and several deorbit maneuvers, the capsule will be ejected from the spacecraft's hatch for a parachute-assisted splashdown off the coast of Japan, where a JAXA ship will recover it.

Additional experiments and equipment in HTV-7 include a new sample holder for the Electrostatic Levitation Furnace (JAXA-ELF), a protein crystal growth experiment at low temperatures (JAXA LT PCG), an investigation that looks at the effect of microgravity on bone marrow (MARROW), a Life Sciences Glovebox, and additional EXPRESS Racks.

HTV-7 will reenter Earth's atmosphere after its deorbit maneuvers to burn up harmlessly over the South Pacific Ocean this fall.

Robert Pearlman
Editor

Posts: 42988
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999

posted 09-09-2018 07:53 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Robert Pearlman   Click Here to Email Robert Pearlman     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
JAXA release
Launch Postponed H-II Transfer Vehicle Kounotori7 aboard the H-IIB Vehicle No. 7

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) have postponed the launch of the H-IIB Launch Vehicle No. 7, which carries aboard the H-II Transfer Vehicle "Kounotori-7" (HTV-7), the cargo transporter to the International Space Station (ISS) from the JAXA Tanegashima Space Center.

In Guam, where there is one of JAXA's tracking stations, adverse weather including strong winds caused by a typhoon is predicted for the day before and launch day. The launch was originally scheduled for September 11, 2018 [Sept. 10 EDT].

New launch date will be informed when determined.

Robert Pearlman
Editor

Posts: 42988
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999

posted 09-11-2018 06:54 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Robert Pearlman   Click Here to Email Robert Pearlman     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
JAXA release
Updated Launch Date, H-II Transfer Vehicle Kounotori7 aboard H-IIB Vehicle No. 7

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (MHI) and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) have postponed the launch of the H-IIB Launch Vehicle No. 7(H-IIB F7) which carries aboard the H-II Transfer Vehicle "Kounotori7" (HTV7), the cargo transporter to the International Space Station (ISS) from the JAXA Tanegashima Space Center. The launch was originally scheduled for September 11, 2018.

After careful examination of the weather, the launch schedule has been updated as follows:

  • Launch Date: September 14, 2018
  • Launch Time: around 6:20 a.m., Japan Standard Time (JST) [The launch time is subject to change as the ISS orbit is updated.]
  • Launch Window: September 15 through October 31, 2018 [Launch time and date during this period are pending, to be determined by the ISS operations and other status.]
Please note that this updated schedule is also subject to change, due to weather and other status.

Robert Pearlman
Editor

Posts: 42988
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999

posted 09-12-2018 07:03 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Robert Pearlman   Click Here to Email Robert Pearlman     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
JAXA release
Launch Postponed, H-II Transfer Vehicle Kounotori7 aboard H-IIB Vehicle No. 7

Due to an unfavorable weather forecast for the launch day, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (MHI) and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) have postponed the launch of the H-IIB Launch Vehicle No. 7(H-IIB F7) which carries aboard the H-II Transfer Vehicle "Kounotori7" (HTV7), the cargo transporter to the International Space Station (ISS) from the JAXA Tanegashima Space Center. The launch was rescheduled for September 14, 2018. Below is the updated schedule.

MHI and JAXA will consider the weather forecast for the coming days and determine if the updated launch date is available.

  • Launch Date: September 15, 2018
  • Launch Time: around 6:00 a.m. (Japan Standard Time, JST) [Launch time is determined by the latest update of the ISS operations.]
  • Reserved Launch Period: September 16 through October 31, 2018 [Launch time and date during this period are pending, to be determined by the ISS operations and other status.]

Robert Pearlman
Editor

Posts: 42988
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999

posted 09-14-2018 03:18 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Robert Pearlman   Click Here to Email Robert Pearlman     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
NASA update
Japan Postpones Rocket Launch to Station

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) has postponed the scheduled launch of a Japanese cargo spacecraft from the Tanegashima Space Center in southern Japan. The unpiloted H-II Transfer Vehicle-7 (HTV-7) is loaded with more than five tons of supplies, water, spare parts and experiments for the crew aboard the International Space Station.

A new launch date has not yet been determined.

Per Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (via Twitter), the launch was scrubbed due to an issue with the H-II propulsion system.

Robert Pearlman
Editor

Posts: 42988
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999

posted 09-19-2018 09:19 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Robert Pearlman   Click Here to Email Robert Pearlman     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
JAXA release
Launch Schedule Updates, the H-II Transfer Vehicle "Kounotori7" aboard the H-IIB Vehicle No. 7

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (MHI) and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) have updated launch schedule of the H-IIB Launch Vehicle No. 7 (H-IIB F7) which carries aboard the H-II Transfer Vehicle "Kounotori7" (HTV7), the cargo transporter to the International Space Station (ISS). Necessity arose to investigate the H-IIB F7 propulsion system, forcing MHI and JAXA to cancel the launch previously rescheduled for September 15, 2018. MHI and JAXA have taken the course of action necessary to identify and deal with the cause that the investigation revealed.

Based on the investigation results and the progress of the corrective measures H-IIB F7 launch schedule updates go as follows:

  • Launch Date: September 22, 2018
  • Launch Time: Around 3:15 a.m. (Japan Standard Time, JST) [Launch time is approximate and subject to change, to coordinate with the latest ISS orbit and operations.]
  • Reserved Launch Period: September 23 through October 31, 2018 [Launch time and date during the reserved launch period are pending, to be determined by the ISS operations and other status.]

Robert Pearlman
Editor

Posts: 42988
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999

posted 09-22-2018 02:37 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Robert Pearlman   Click Here to Email Robert Pearlman     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
HTV-7 'Kounotori-7' launches to space station

A Mitsubishi Heavy Industries H-IIB rocket launched with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's (JAXA) H-II Transfer Vehicle-7 (HTV-7) at 1:52 p.m. EDT on Saturday (Sept. 22; 2:52 a.m. Sept. 23 Japan standard time) from the Tanegashima Space Center in southern Japan.

A little more than 15 minutes after launch, the unpiloted cargo spacecraft, also known as as "Kounotori-7," successfully separated from the rocket and began its four-and-a-half day rendezvous with the International Space Station.

On Thursday (Sept. 27), the HTV-7 will approach the station from below and slowly inch its way toward the orbiting laboratory. Expedition 56 commander Drew Feustel and flight engineer Serena Auñón-Chancellor of NASA will operate the station's Canadarm2 robotic arm to capture the spacecraft as it approaches.

Flight engineer Alexander Gerst of ESA (European Space Agency) will monitor HTV-7 systems during its approach. Robotic ground controllers will then install it on the Earth-facing side of the Harmony module, where it will remain for several weeks.

In addition to new hardware to upgrade the station's electrical power system, the HTV-7 is carrying a new sample holder for the Electrostatic Levitation Furnace (JAXA-ELF), a protein crystal growth experiment at low temperatures (JAXA LT PCG), an investigation that looks at the effect of microgravity on bone marrow (MARROW), a Life Sciences Glovebox and additional EXPRESS Racks.

Robert Pearlman
Editor

Posts: 42988
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999

posted 09-27-2018 08:12 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Robert Pearlman   Click Here to Email Robert Pearlman     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
HTV-7 'Kounotori-7' arrives at space station

Using the International Space Station's robotic arm, Canadarm2, Expedition 56 commander Drew Feustel and flight engineer Serena Auñón-Chancellor of NASA grappled the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's (JAXA) Kounotori H-II Transfer Vehicle (HTV-7) on Thursday (Sept. 27) at 7:34 a.m. EDT (1134 GMT). At the time of capture, the space station and cargo spacecraft were flying 250 miles above the north Pacific Ocean.

Next, robotic ground controllers will install HTV-7 on the Earth-facing side of the Harmony module.

Robert Pearlman
Editor

Posts: 42988
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999

posted 11-09-2018 10:16 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Robert Pearlman   Click Here to Email Robert Pearlman     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
HTV-7 'Kounotori-7' departs space station

Expedition 57 commander Alexander Gerst of the European Space Agencya, with back-up support from NASA astronaut Serena Auñón-Chancellor, used the International Space Station's Canadarm2 robotic arm to release Japan's HTV-7 cargo spacecraft at 10:51 a.m. CST on Wednesday (Nov. 7). At the time of release, the space station was flying 254 miles (409 kilometers) over the northern Pacific Ocean. Earlier, ground controllers used the robotic arm to unberth the cargo craft.

After release, a new, small reentry capsule will be deployed from the unpiloted H-II Transfer Vehicle. Designed by JAXA and assembled by the station crew, the conically shaped capsule measures 2 feet in height and 2.7 feet in width (0.6 by 0.8 meters). The project is a technology demonstration designed to test the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's (JAXA) ability to return small payloads from the station for expedited delivery to researchers.

HTV-7 will be a safe distance away from the space station after the last of several deorbit maneuvers. The return capsule will be ejected from a hatchway after the deorbit burn. The experimental capsule will perform a parachute-assisted splashdown off the coast of Japan, where a JAXA ship will be standing by for its recovery.

The HTV-7 spacecraft is scheduled to re-enter the Earth's atmosphere and burn up harmlessly over the South Pacific Ocean Nov. 10.

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