posted 09-09-2019 09:57 PM               

JAXA's H-II Transfer Vehicle (HTV-8) Kounotori-8

A Japanese cargo spacecraft loaded with more than four tons of supplies, spare parts and experiment hardware is scheduled to launch from the Tanegashima Space Center in southern Japan to the International Space Station at 5:33 p.m. EDT Tuesday, Sept. 10 (6:33 a.m. Sept. 11 in Japan).

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) unpiloted H-II Transport Vehicle-8 (HTV-8) will launch on a Japanese H-IIB rocket on the tenth anniversary of the first HTV cargo spacecraft launch.

The spacecraft will arrive at the station Saturday, Sept. 14. Expedition 60 Flight Engineer Christina Koch of NASA, backed up by her NASA crewmate Andrew Morgan, will operate the station's Canadarm2 robotic arm from the station's cupola to capture the 12-ton spacecraft as it approaches from below.

Robotics flight controllers will then take over the operation of the arm to install HTV-8 to the Earth-facing port of the Harmony module where it will spend a month attached. Flight Engineer Luca Parmitano of ESA (European Space Agency) will monitor HTV-8 systems during its approach to the station.

Capture of the HTV-8 is scheduled around 7 a.m. EDT (1100 GMT).

Named Kounotori, meaning white stork in Japanese, the craft will deliver six new lithium-ion batteries and corresponding adapter plates that will replace aging nickel-hydrogen batteries for two power channels on the station's far port truss segment. The batteries will be installed through a series of robotics and spacewalks by the station's crew members later this year.

Additional experiments on board HTV-8 include an upgrade to the Cell Biology Experiment Facility (CBEF-L), a small-sized satellite optical communication system (SOLISS), and a payload for testing the effects of gravity on powder and granular material (Hourglass).

posted 09-10-2019 02:35 PM               

Launch Canceled, H-II Transfer Vehicle Kounotori-8 aboard the H-IIB Vehicle No. 8

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (MHI) has canceled the launch of the H-IIB Launch Vehicle No. 8(H-IIB F8) which carries aboard the H-II Transfer Vehicle Kounotori-8 (HTV-8), the cargo transporter to the International Space Station (ISS) from the JAXA Tanegashima Space Center.

At 3:05 a.m. fire around the facility, the Movable Launcher, was found and we are currently working to extinguish the fire.

It may take time to check the cause and effect on the rocket and facility, MHI has decided to cancel the launch. The launch was originally scheduled for September 11, 2019.

New launch date will be informed when determined.

posted 09-20-2019 10:17 AM               

Updated Launch Schedule of the H-II Transfer Vehicle Kounotori-8 aboard the H-IIB Vehicle No. 8

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (MHI) has canceled the launch of the H-IIB Launch Vehicle No. 8(H-IIB F8), which carries aboard the H-II Transfer Vehicle "Kounotori-8" (HTV-8), the cargo transporter to the International Space Station (ISS) from the JAXA Tanegashima Space Center due to a fire at the movable launch pad exit hole during the countdown operation.

As a result of the investigation, it was confirmed that there was a high possibility that the fire spread due to the static electricity generated by the oxygen dripping from the engine exhaust port during the propellant filling operation, which continued to blow on the heat-resistant material in the exit hole at the movable launch pad.

We have taken corrective measures and have confirmed normal functioning of the rocket and facility.

Accordingly, updated launch schedule is as follows.

• Launch Date: Tuesday, September 24, 2019
  
• Launch Time: 1:30 a.m. (Japan Standard Time, JST) [12:30 p.m. EDT Sept. 23]
  
• Launch Window: September 25 through October 31, 2019

posted 09-21-2019 02:14 PM               

Rescheduled Launch, Capture of Cargo Ship to Space Station

A Japanese cargo spacecraft loaded with more than four tons of supplies, spare parts, and experiment hardware is scheduled to launch from the Tanegashima Space Center in southern Japan to the International Space Station at 12:05 p.m. EDT Tuesday, Sept. 24 (1:05 a.m. Sept. 25 in Japan).

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) unpiloted H-II Transport Vehicle-8 (HTV-8) originally was scheduled to launch Sept. 10, but the launch was postponed because of a fire at the mobile launch pad exit hole during the countdown operation. Launch provider Mitsubishi Heavy Industries identified the root cause for the fire and set the new launch date after corrective measures were put in place.

Following a successful launch Sept. 24, the spacecraft will arrive at the station Saturday, Sept. 28. Expedition 60 Flight Engineer Christina Koch of NASA, backed up by her NASA crewmate Andrew Morgan, will operate the station’s Canadarm2 robotic arm from the station’s cupola to capture the 12-ton spacecraft as it approaches from below. Robotics flight controllers will then take over the operation of the arm to install HTV-8 to the Earth-facing port of the Harmony module where it will spend a month attached to the orbiting laboratory. Flight Engineer Luca Parmitano of ESA (European Space Agency) will monitor HTV-8 systems during its approach to the station.

Capture of the HTV-8 is scheduled around 7:15 a.m.

posted 09-24-2019 11:49 AM               

The HTV-8 cargo craft from JAXA is safely in orbit and now on its way to the station for a Saturday arrival and capture at 7:15 a.m. EDT.

posted 09-28-2019 06:15 AM               

HTV-8 arrives at space station

Using the International Space Station's robotic arm, Canadarm2, Expedition 60 flight engineers Christina Koch and Drew Morgan of NASA grappled the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's (JAXA) Kounotori H-II Transfer Vehicle (HTV-8) on Saturday (Sept. 28) at 7:12 a.m. EDT (1112 GMT). At the time of capture, the space station and cargo spacecraft were flying 262 miles (422 kilometers) above the southern African country of Angola.

Ground controllers then berthed HTV-8 to the Earth-facing side of the Harmony module at 10:09 a.m. EDT (1409 GMT).

posted 11-01-2019 01:27 PM               

HTV-8 departs space station

Expedition 61 flight engineers Christina Koch with back-up support from NASA astronaut Jessica Meir, used the International Space Station’s Canadarm2 robotic arm to release JAXA's H-II Transfer Vehicle-8 (HTV-8) on Friday (Nov. 1) at 1:21 p.m. EDT (1721 GMT). At the time of release, the space station was flying about 260 miles over the Pacific ocean just off the coast of California.

Earlier Friday, ground controllers used the Canadarm2 to detach the uncrewed spacecraft from the Earth-facing port on the station's Harmony module and then moved the capsule into its release position.