#h-iib

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H-IIB / Kounotori(HTV-8)

Status: Go for Launch

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HTV-7 | JAXA's Seventh H-II Transfer Vehicle departs from International Space Station

Japan’s HTV-7 resupply spacecraft has bid farewell to the International Space Station (ISS) on Wednesday, although its mission isn’t over just yet. HTV-7 will release the Small Re-entry Capsule (HSRC) during its final days in space, allowing for a technology demonstration, ahead of the resupply craft’s final farewell via a destruction re-entry. HTV-7 began its mission atop a H-IIB rocket from the Tanegashima Space Center on September 23 local time, ahead of a journey to arrive at the ISS with its array of cargo.

The upmass comprised of 13,700 lb (6,200 kg) of internal and external payload/cargo elements.

Internally, inside the pressurized section, HTV-7 delivered two new U.S. science racks, a new U.S. Life Sciences Glovebox (LSG), a new Life Support Rack from ESA (European Space Agency), the HSRC, a Loop Heat Pipe Radiator technology demonstrator, the JEM Small Satellite Orbital Deployer and CubeSat, three CubeSats, as well as cargo, food, clothes, and other provisions for the Station crew.

In the external unpressurized section was four HTV mission plan of delivering new lithium-ion batteries to the ISS.

A total of six Orbital Replacement Units (ORUs) of the new batteries were hauled to the Station on HTV-7 for installation over a duo of spacewalks (EVAs). However, those EVAs were delayed after the Soyuz MS-10 incident saw one of the upcoming spacewalkers – Nick Hague – fail to make it to the Station.

No new date for the two EVAs has been noted at this time, although the batteries are currently stowed on the outside of the ISS ready to be installed when the spacewalk replan effort has been completed.

Now refilled with trash to be burned up with the HTV at the end of its mission, one final task was required from the ISS crew, which was in preparation for the HSRC task.

“The crew assembled the HTV Capsule Support Plate and Support Cone in preparation for Capsule Sample installation. The entire assembly (was) attached to the vehicle’s bulkhead as part of the HTV-7 egress timeline,” noted L2 ISS information.

“The crew then continued departure activities and completed the assembly and installation of the HTV Small Re-entry Capsule Assembly (HSRC), Node 2 Nadir vestibule reconfiguration, and Control Panel Assembly (CPA) Installation.”

With the HTV hatch closed, ground controllers used the Space Station Remote Manipulator System (SSRMS) to grapple HTV-7’s from the Mobile Base System (MBS) Payload ORU Accommodation (POA) and installed on its Unpressurized Logistics Carrier (ULC). The SSRMS was then maneuvered and successfully grappled HTV6’s Flight Releasable Grapple Fixture (FRGF) in preparation for release.

Ahead of the end for HTV-7, trash items were loaded into its place and the Common Berthing Mechanism (CBM) hatches between the vehicle and the ISS were closed.

Following CBM vestibule depressurization and removal of all 16 CBM bolts (in four stages of four bolts), marked the unattaching of the vehicle, whilst under the firm grip of the SSRMS.

Over the following few hours, the SSRMS maneuvered HTV-7 to the release position around 30 feet below the ISS, following which, with both ISS and HTV-7 thrusters inhibited.

HTV-7 was then ready to be released by Expedition 57 Commander Alexander Gerst of ESA (European Space Agency) and Serena Auñón-Chancellor of NASA inside the Robotic Work Station (RWS) in the Cupola module.

The SSRMS ungrappling of HTV-7 was next, to signify its release from the ISS.

After a period of 90 seconds, the ISS crew sent the retreat command to HTV-7, which initiates the departure sequence burns.

In total – per the timeline – four departure burns were called for, known as ISS Departure Maneuver (IDM) -1 and -2, followed by Descending Maneuver (DSM) -1 and -2, following which ISS and HTV-7 integrated operations officially ended.

HTV-7 will remain in orbit for several days before conducting a series of de-orbit burns for a destructive re-entry over the Pacific Ocean on Saturday.

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Japanese H-IIB Rocket Launches HTV-7 cargo ship (Kounotori7) to International Space Station

Jaxa has successfully launched the HTV-7 cargo craft to the ISS (International Space Station) atop a H-IIB rocket. Liftoff occurred at 02:52 JST (17:52 UTC) from the Tanegashima launch site on 23 September 2018. HTV-7 is delivering a new set of batteries for the external portion of the Station’s power generating and storage systems as well as new full-sized experiment racks and glove boxes for the inside of the orbital outpost.

HTV-7 is packed with more than 5 tons (4.5 metric tons) of science equipment, food, fuel and other supplies. If the freighter launches as planned today, it will reach the ISS early Thursday morning (Sept. 27), NASA officials said. That cargo includes two small cubesats for a space elevator experiment and a small re-entry capsule to test technology to return experiments to Earth.

Today's liftoff was originally scheduled for Sept. 10 but has been pushed back several times for several different reasons — Typhoon Mangkhut affecting a key tracking station on Guam, bad weather around Tanegashima and an issue with the H-II rocket.

"HTV" stands for "H-II Transfer Vehicle." The cargo craft is also known as Kounotori, which means "white stork" in Japanese. HTV-7 will be, as you may have surmised, the seventh HTV mission to launch toward the orbiting lab.

The HTV is one of four robotic cargo spacecraft that service the ISS. The other three are Russia's Progress vehicle, the Cygnus spacecraft built by American company Northrop Grumman and SpaceX's Dragon capsule.

Dragon is the only one of the four that makes it back to Earth in one piece; the other three are designed to burn up in the planet's atmosphere.

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Kounotori 7 cargo resupply mission on its way to ISS

Kounotori 7 cargo resupply mission on its way to ISS

The Kounotori 7 spacecraft is launched by Japan’s H-IIB rocket. Liftoff took place at 17:52 GMT Sept. 22, 2018. Photo Credit: JAXA

Japan’s seventh cargo resupply mission to the International Space Station lifted off from the Tanegashima Space Center in southern Japan to send more than six metric tons of cargo, including supplies to for the crew, new batteries and various experiments. (more…)

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New Kounotori 7 launch date announced by JAXA

New Kounotori 7 launch date announced by JAXA

A file photo of the previous H-IIB rocket to send a Kounotori spacecraft into orbit. Photo Credit: JAXA

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), together with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (MHI), announced a new launch date for Japan’s Kounotori 7 cargo flight to the International Space Station. (more…)

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HTV-7 launch rescheduled to September 15

HTV-7 launch rescheduled to September 15

HTV-7 at the Second Spacecraft Test and Assembly Building, the Tanegashima Space Center. Photo Credit: JAXA.

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) has once again postponed its seventh cargo flight to the International Space Station (ISS) due to unfavorable weather conditions. The launch of the HTV-7 (Kounotori 7) spacecraft is now targeted for Saturday, Sept.r 15, around 6:00 a.m. local…

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Typhoon near Guam prompts delay of Kounotori 7 cargo flight to ISS

Typhoon near Guam prompts delay of Kounotori 7 cargo flight to ISS

A file photo of a previous Japanese cargo ship berthed to the ISS. Kounotori 7 is set to deliver thousands of pounds of supplies to the outpost, including six giant lithium-ion batteries. Photo Credit: NASA

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) was expected to send the unpiloted Kounotori 7 cargo freighter toward the International Space Station on Sept. 10, 2018. However, inclement…

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Japanese Kounotori 7 to deliver new batteries to International Space Station

Japanese Kounotori 7 to deliver new batteries to International Space Station

Kounotori 7 at the Second Spacecraft Test and Assembly Building located at Tanegashima Space Center in Japan. Photo Credit: JAXA.

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) is preparing its seventh resupply spacecraft bound for the International Space Station for a Sept. 10, 2018, liftoff. The mission, designated HTV-7, is slated to deliver more than six metric tons of cargo to the orbiting…

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