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Kounotori 4

Kounotori 4, also known as HTV-4, was the fourth flight of the H-II Transfer Vehicle, an uncrewed cargo spacecraft launched in August 2013 to resupply the International Space Station. It launched from Tanegashima Space Center aboard H-IIB No. 4 (H-IIB F4) rocket on 3 August 2013 and connected to ISS by 9 August 2013; it carried 5,400 kilograms (11,900 lb) of cargo.[2] Kounotori 4 undocked on 4 September 2013 and was destroyed by reentry on 7 September 2013.[3][4]

Specifications

Major changes of Kounotori 4 from previous HTV are:

Cargo

Kounotori 4 carries about 5,400 kilograms (11,900 lb) of cargo, consisting of 3,900 kilograms (8,600 lb) in the pressurized compartment and 1,500 kilograms (3,300 lb) in the unpressurized compartment.

Pressurized cargo include: CANA (Cabin network system for Kibō), Stirling-Cycle Refrigerator (FROST), ISS Cryogenic Experiment Storage Box (ICE Box), i-Ball and Re-Entry Data Recorder (REDR), four CubeSats: (PicoDragon, ArduSat-1, ArduSat-X, TechEdSat-3p), and the Kirobo (robot companion for Koichi Wakata).

Unpressurized cargo include: MBSU (Main Bus Switching Units) and UTA (Utility Transfer Assembly) which are ISS system spare parts, and a NASA experiment module STP-H4 (Space Test Program - Houston 4).

Operation

Launch and rendezvous with ISS

The H-IIB rocket carrying Kounotori 4 lifts off from the Tanegashima Space Center early on 4 August 2013 (Japan Standard Time).

Kounotori 4 was successfully launched atop a H-IIB carrier rocket flying from pad 2 of the Yoshinobu Launch Complex at Tanegashima Space Center at 19:48:46 UTC on 3 August 2013. After 5.5 days of orbital manoeuvres, it arrived to Approach Initiation Point (5 kilometres (3.1 mi) behind ISS) at 05:31 UTC, 9 August 2013,[6] and started the final approach sequence at 08:05 UTC.[7] The ISS's robotic arm Canadarm2 grappled Kounotori 4 at 11:22 UTC, and fastened to ISS's Common berthing mechanism (CBM) on 16:32 UTC. All berthing operations were completed at 18:38 UTC.[8]

Operation while berthed to ISS

The ISS crew opened the hatch and entered to Pressurized Logistics Carrier (PLC) at 11:11 UTC, 10 August 2013.[9]

Departure from ISS and reentry to Earth atmosphere

Kounotori 4 undocked from the ISS at 16:20 UTC, on 4 September 2013, Karen Nyberg then used the stations Canadarm2 to manoeuvre HTV-4 away from the International Space Station.[3]

Trajectory after the release was controlled so that the reentry coincides with ISS passing over to observe it. Japanese flight controllers have deorbited HTV-4 on 06:11 UTC, on 7 September 2013, and it reentered to the atmosphere around 06:37 UTC, on7 September 2013.[4]

Notes

  1. ^ McDowell, Jonathan. "Satellite Catalog". Jonathan's Space Page. Retrieved 9 November 2013.
  2. ^ NASA - Japanese Cargo Craft Captured, Berthed to Station (2013) Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  3. ^ a b "Station Releases a White Stork and Awaits a Swan". NASA. 4 September 2013. Retrieved 4 September 2013. Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  4. ^ a b "Successful re-entry of H-II Transfer Vehicle "KOUNOTORI 4" (HTV-4)". JAXA. 7 September 2013. Archived from the original on 15 September 2013. Retrieved 1 December 2013.
  5. ^ "Features of HTV4". Retrieved 29 July 2013.
  6. ^ "KOUNOTORI4 Reaches 5km behind the ISS". JAXA. 9 August 2013. Retrieved 15 August 2013.
  7. ^ "KOUNOTORI4 Resumes Approach to the ISS". JAXA. Retrieved 15 August 2013.
  8. ^ "ISS Crew Completed KOUNOTORI4 Berthing Operation". JAXA. 10 August 2013. Retrieved 15 August 2013.
  9. ^ JAXA (12 August 2013). "ISS Crew Entered KOUNOTORI4 Pressurized Logistics Carrier (PLC). Transfer of the Exposed Pallet (EP) was Completed". Retrieved 15 August 2013.

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to HTV-4.