TANEGASHIMA SPACE CENTER, JAPAN - Japan's space program scored a major success with the maiden launch of the new H-IIB rocket with an equally brand new resupply vehicle bound for the International Space Station, laying the groundwork for the future of Japan's unmanned and manned activity in space.
READ: H-IIB/HTV-1 PRESS KIT READ: H-IIB/HTV-1 LAUNCH/OPERATION AND CONTROL PLANS READ: HTV FACT SHEET READ: H-IIB FACT SHEET FREE VIDEO: H-IIB LIFTS OFF WITH HTV-1 ALL-ACCESS SUBSCRIBER DOWNLOAD: NASA TV H-IIB LAUNCH COVERAGE - 1200KBPS After months of preparation, the twin-engine first stage roared to life, powered by liquid hydrogen and oxygen propellants. As the 17-foot diameter first stage reached full thrust, four strapon solid rocket boosters (SRB-A) ignited to send the H-IIB rocket on its way at 1:01:46 p.m. EDT (2:01 a.m. in Japan) under the combined thrust of over 3 million pounds. The 186 foot tall launch vehicle raced skyward and disappeared behind low clouds hanging over the Yoshinobu launch complex on Japan's Tanegashima Island as the rocket turned to the southeast on a trek over the Pacific Ocean. the four boosters, two at a time, burned out and separated approximately 2 minutes 4 seconds and 2 minutes 7 seconds after launch. The protective fairing over HTV was jettisoned approximately 3 minutes 40 seconds after launch, it being no longer needed to protect the spacecraft from aerodynamic stresses as the rocket raced through the dense lower atmosphere. The First Stage separated 5 minutes 54 seconds after launch and the second stage took over for the remainder of the ascent to orbit. The H-IIB second stage burned for eight minutes to place the inaugural HII Transfer Vehicle in an elliptical orbit with an altitude of 200 km x 300 km at an inclination of 51.6 degrees on the first leg of a week-long chase to catch up to the International Space Station. Nestled away in the nose of the H-IIB, the 35,000 pound HTV was deployed into orbit 15 minutes, 11 seconds after launch to begin a series of on-orbit checkout and testing, a "shakedown cruise", before rendezvous with the space station next Thursday. This weekend, the spacecraft will be put through a series of exercises to practice abort procedures that would be used if a problem crops up late during the HTV's approach to ISS. After the craft has been put through its paces, its autonomous rendezvous system will bring the HTV to within 33 feet of the space station's Harmony module, at which point as tronaut Nicole Stott will use the station's robotic arm to grab the vehicle and berth it to Harmony's nadir common berthing mechansim. The HTV-1 Mission, HTV's first flight to the ISS, has two major objectives: one is to deliver supplies to the ISS and the other is to verify HTV's rendezvous flight techniques and operability of the HTV onboard systems during its actual flight. For this reason, this HTV maiden flight vehicle is also called a "Technical Demonstration Vehicle". Part of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's contribution to the space station, HTV delivers up to 6,000 kg of cargo, both pressurized and unpressurized, to the ISS. While the HTV is berthed to the ISS, ISS crew can enter HTV's pressurized logistics carrier to transfer onboard supplies to the ISS. The ISS crew will also unload the unpressurized cargo using the station's robotic arm and Kibo's robotic arm. After the supplies are unloaded, the HTV will then be loaded with trash and other discarded items. Finally, the HTV will undock and depart from the ISS, and reenter the atmosphere. The Pressurized Logistics Carrier (PLC) carries cargo for onboard use (experiment racks, food, and clothes). Once it is berthed to the ISS, internal air will be circulated between the PLC and Harmony (Node 2) through the Inter-Module Ventilation (IMV) system. The ISS crew will enter the PLC to unload the cargo transfer bags or science/system racks. After cargo unloading is complete, the HTV will then be loaded with trash and used materials. The PLC is equipped with the passive half of a Common Berthing Mechanism (CBM) for docking to the active half of the CBM on Harmony. The Unpressurized Logistic Carrier (ULC) accommodates an Exposed Pallet (EP) while the HTV flies to the ISS. The EP is a pallet used to carry external experiments and/or orbital replacement units (ORUs) to be used outside of the ISS. After the HTV is berthed to the ISS, the Exposed Pallet (EP) will be removed from the Unpressurized Logistics Carrier (ULC) by the station's robotic arm, the Space Station Remote Manipulator System (SSRMS). The EP will then be handed over to Kibo's robotic arm, the JEM Remote Manipulator System (JEMRMS), and temporarily attached to the ISS (the Mobile Base System (MBS) or Kibo's exposed Facility (EF)) for unloading of the carried payloads. Once the payloads are unloaded, the EP will be re-stowed in the ULC by the SSRMS. The HTV will approach the ISS from the nadir side of the ISS (from the direction of Earth). The HTV will then be grappled by the station's robotic arm (SSRMS) and berthed to the ISS. This operation phase is called "PROX Operations". HTV's approach sequence during PROX Operations is as follows: 1 The HTV will move from the AI point to a point 500 m below the ISS guided by GPS (RGPS Navigation). 2 Using a laser sensor called Rendezvous Sensor (RVS), the HTV will approach the ISS, beaming the laser to the reflector located on the nadir side (facing Earth) of Kibo (RVS Navigation). 3 The HTV will hold its approach twice: when reaching 300 m below the ISS (hold point) and 30 m below the ISS (parking point). At the hold point, the HTV will perform 180° yaw-around to prepare for a contingency maneuver in case of emergency. 4 Finally, the HTV will reach 10 m below the ISS, a grappling position called the "Berthing Point". At the Berthing Point, the HTV will maintain this distance from the ISS. HTV's approach speed during the RVS Navigation phase is 1 to 10 meters per minute. During this phase, the ISS crew can control the HTV by sending commands such as "HOLD", "RETREAT", "ABORT", or "FREE DRIFT" using the Hardware Command Panel (HCP) deployed on the robotics workstation onboard the Destiny module. If an emergency occurs and HTV's further approach can not be permitted, the ISS crew will command the HTV to depart in the forward direction of the ISS. Once the HTV Mission Control Room (MCR) at TKSC confirms that the HTV has arrived at the Berthing Point (the grappling point 10 m below the ISS), the ISS crew will disable the HTV thrusters (free drift). Then, the station's robotic arm (SSRMS) will grapple the HTV. Finally, the SSRMS will berth the HTV to the CBM located at the nadir side (facing Earth) of Harmony. (The Spacearium / Space Media Corporation)
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