Launch News H-IIB F-7 - HTV-7 - September 22, 2018 (17:52 UTC)

[Nicholas Kang]

JAXA is launching to the ISS again!

Launch Schedule of the H-II Transfer Vehicle KOUNOTORI7
aboard the H-IIB Vehicle No. 7​

July 13, 2018 (JST)
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
National Research and Development Agency
Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)​

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) will launch 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). Details are as follows:

Scheduled Date of Launch: September 11, 2018
Scheduled Time of Launch: 7:32 a.m. (Japan Standard Time, JST) [*1]
Reserved Launch Period: September 12 through October 31, 2018 [*2]
Location: Yoshinobu Launch Complex at the JAXA Tanegashima Space Center
​

*1: The launch time is subject to change as the ISS orbit is updated.
*2: Launch time and date during this period are pending, determined by the ISS operations and other status.

Live Broadcast:

(Launch broadcast by JAXA, stream begins on 7 a.m. JST (GMT +9) 11th of September)​

(Rendezvous and Docking by JAXA, stream begins on 8:10 p.m. JST 14th of September)​

Payloads:

HTV7 “KOUNOTORI7” will deliver a total of 6.2 metric tons of cargo to the ISS, including 4.3 metric tons in the Pressurized Logistic Carrier (PLC) and 1.9 metric tons on the Unpressurized Logistic Carrier (ULC).

Major supply goods to be delivered on board are as follows:

* Images below are provided by JAXA unless otherwise specified.

Cargo in the Pressurized Logistic Carrier (PLC)

1. Experiment racks
   • Two US experiment racks (Express Rack 9B and 10B)
     

     

     
     EXPRESS Rack 9B and 10B (Two in the forefront)
     
     US EXPRESS Racks 9B and 10B will be delivered on this flight. These two EXPRESS Racks are modified for more simple interfaces.​

   • US Life Sciences Glovebox (LSG)
     

     

     
     Life Sciences Glovebox (LSG) (Credit: JAXA/NASA)
     
     Life Sciences Glovebox (LSG), the second ISS large-scale glovebox for scientific experiments, will be installed on board “Kibo”.​

   • Life Support Rack (LSR)
     

     

     
     ESA Life Support Rack (LSR)(Credit: Airbus Company)
     
     The Life Support Rack (LSR) developed by the European Space Agency (ESA) is equipment for demonstration test of effective life support system which produces oxygen (O2) from water (H2O) by using electrolysis and also converts the produced hydrogen (H2) in Sabatier reaction with carbon dioxide (CO2), removed from the inside of the cabin, into methane (CH4) and byproduct water (H2O), which is then recycled for electrolysis.​

2. Utilization/experiment-related items
   • HTV Small Re-entry Capsule (HSRC)
     

     

     
     HTV Small Re-entry Capsule (HSRC)
     
     HTV Small Re-entry Capsule (HSRC) will demonstrate reentry technology and cargo recovery function from the ISS.
     
     HSRC including experiment samples will be attached to the hatch of the Pressurized Logistic Carrier (PLC) before the HTV7 unberthing from ISS. HSRC will be separated from the HTV7 after its deorbit burn; re-enter Earth’s atmosphere; descend by parachute; and be recovered after splashdown.
     
     【Reference】HTV Small Re-entry Capsule (HSRC)​

   • Loop Heat Pipe Radiator (LHPR) technology demonstration system
     

     

     
     Loop Heat Pipe Radiator (LHPR)
     
     The Loop Heat Pipe is expected for high efficiency heat rejection technology for future spacecraft. This Loop Heat Pipe Radiator (LHPR) demonstration will perform on-orbit technology demonstration of an expansion-type radiator equipped with a loop heat pipe by using “Kibo” as a test bed environment.
     
     The demonstration aims to reduce risks in satellite development by reflecting the results obtained by the on-orbit demonstration to the design of the expansion-type radiator, which will be applied to Engineering Test Satellite-9 aimed at the realization of next-generation geostationary communications satellites.​

   • JEM Small Satellite Orbital Deployer (J-SSOD) and CubeSat
     

     

     
     JEM Small Satellite Orbital Deployer (J-SSOD)
     
     This mission will mark the 10th CubeSat deployment using J-SSOD since 2012.
     
     【Reference】CubeSats which have been deployed until now
     ​

   • CubeSats
     

     HTV7 will deliver following CubeSats developed by a joint team of Nanyang Technological University (NTU, in Singapore) and Kyushu Institute of Technology (“Kyutech”, in Japan), Rymansat Spaces Inc., and Shizuoka University.
     
     

     
     SPATIUM-I (2U sized)
     

     

     
     SPATIUM-I (Kyushu Institute of Technology/Nananyang Technological University)
     
     The CubeSat will perform a mission to demonstrate technology aimed at electron density measurement and three-dimensional mapping of ionosphere and chip scale (ultra-small) atomic clock for CubeSats.
     
     
     
     RSP-00 (1U sized)
     

     

     
     
     The CubeSat will perform a mission to demonstrate technology aimed at electron density measurement and three-dimensional mapping of ionosphere and chip scale (ultra-small) atomic clock for CubeSats.
     
     The CubeSat will demonstrate technology for imaging with onboard camera and high speed data transmission.
     
     
     
     STARS-Me (2U sized)
     

     

     
     STARS-Me (Shizuoka University)
     
     The CubeSat will perform small-scale demonstration of space elevator, which is a demonstration mission of configuration of two satellites and a climber (moving mechanism).
     ​

3. Cargo for the onboard crew
   • Fresh food
     

     

     
     Fresh food delivered by HTV5 “KOUNOTORI5”
     
     Following HTV5 and HTV6, HTV7 will also deliver foods and other supplies including fresh food.​

Cargo on the Unpressurized Logistic Carrier (ULC)

1. ISS battery Orbital Replacement Units (ORUs)
   

   

   
   Exposed Pallet (EP) loaded with battery ORUs
   
   Following the HTV6, the HTV7 (and also HTV8 and HTV9) will deliver new lithium ion batteries for ISS on the Exposed Pallet (EP) on the Unpressurized Logistic Carrier (ULC). New six battery Orbital Replacement Units (ORUs) consisting of new lithium-ion battery cells manufactured by a Japanese company are delivered.
   
   The nickel-hydrogen batteries currently used on the ISS are becoming old. The extension of ISS operations becomes possible with the supply of Japanese lithium-ion battery cells. Only the HTV is capable of delivering six battery ORUs at one time, and thus plays an important role in continuous ISS operations.​

 

[kuddel]

Updated Launch Date September 14, 2018 ~ 06:20 (JST)

New launch date:
Updated Launch Date

 

[Nicholas Kang]

Delayed by more than a week.

The operation pressure of the valve was lower than the specified value in the operation test of the two-stage liquid oxygen vent valve performed in the countdown operation on the day of launch. Approximate pressure: about 0.33 MPaA Operating pressure: about 0.25 MPaA Re-launch is expected to take more than one week.

The previous launch attempt's live stream, just for archiving purpose of the thread.

 

[Nicholas Kang]

Successful launch!

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)’s H-IIB rocket launched at 1:52 p.m. EDT on Friday, Sept. 22 (2:52 a.m. Sept. 23 Japan standard time) from the Tanegashima Space Center in southern Japan. At the time of launch, the space station was 254 miles over the southwest Pacific, west of Chile.

A little more than 15 minutes after launch, the unpiloted H-II Transfer Vehicle-7 (HTV-7) cargo spacecraft successfully separated from the rocket and began its four-and-a-half 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.

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-qPnyZeNefY"]Launch of Japanese HTV-7 on H-IIB Rocket heading to International Space Station - YouTube[/ame]

*NASA TV coverage of the Sept. 27 rendezvous and grapple will begin at 6:30 a.m. ET. Capture is scheduled for approximately 8:00 a.m. After a break, NASA TV coverage will resume at 10:30 a.m. for spacecraft installation to the space station’s Harmony module.