Canadarm2 grapples the Kounotori2 H-II Transfer Vehicle (HTV2) as it approaches the station. (NASA Photo)
Feb. 4 - Late last month, NASA Astronaut Cady Coleman maneuvered the International Space Station's robotic arm (made in Canada) to capture and dock a spacecraft from Japan. The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) had launched this vessel from Tanegashima Island five days earlier. From their mission control center on the ground at the Tsukuba Space Center, JAXA engineers flew this spacecraft remotely, moving it into position within about 10 meters of the Space Station. This steering represents a remarkable feat since there is almost no margin of error between these two spacecraft flying at 22,000 km/hour.
The H-II Transfer Vehicle 2 at the JAXA Tanegashima Space Center in Kagoshima Prefecture on Nov. 25, 2010. (JAXA Photo) [See full size photo!]
The crew of the International Space Station warmly welcomed the arrival of this unmanned Japanese vessel. Nearly half of the vessel's payload consists of NASA supplies, including water, food, and science equipment. The crew soon began opening and unpacking the H-II Transfer Vehicle (called "Kounotori" in Japanese and "White Stork" in English). Soon they will load it up with trash from the space station.
Russian cosmonaut Oleg Skripochka works in the Kounotori2 docked to the Harmony node of the ISS. (NASA Photo)
I was surprised to learn about the trash, but Justin Tillman, Embassy Tokyo's National Aeronautics and Space Administration Attaché, told me that trash removal is a challenge on a space station that is expected to house crews for at least two decades. The trash will burn up with the Japanese vessel when it re-enters the earth's atmosphere in about two months. This successful operation represents the second of seven Japanese missions to resupply the Space Station - part of our ongoing collaboration to advance humanity’s knowledge of science and engineering.
Until next time,
Jim
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