The Japanese Space Agency, JAXA, is poised to launch its fourth automated supply vessel to the International Space Station. Liftoff aboard the H-IIB carrier rocket is scheduled for 4:48:46 AM Japan Standard Time (Sunday in Japan) 3:48 pm Saturday US Eastern. The launch will be broadcast on NASA television, as well here. The HTV, which is called Kounotori, or “white stork” is comprised of both pressurized and unpressurized segments, the former is loaded with 3.9 tons food, supplies and experiments. The external segment is loaded with ISS replacement hardware including a Main Bus Switching Unit, which routes electrical power through the station, as well as a NASA payload Space Test Program. The launch vehicle for today’s mission, the H-IIB is a two stage hydrogen / oxygen booster aided on liftoff by four solid strap-on boosters is built by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. JAXA’s newest launch vehicle, the Epsilon, is a small three stage solid core booster which utilizes a derivative of the H-II series strap on as the first stage. The Epsilon is scheduled to make its maiden flight on August 22.
Featured Posts
Meteorite Helps Build the Case for Ancient Life on Mars
February 28, 2014Kepler Data Confirms 715 New Planets
February 26, 2014- 1
Tesla Model S Wins Consumer Reports Best Overall Car 2014
February 25, 2014 SpaceX Prepares to Get a Leg Up on Everybody
February 24, 2014
M | T | W | T | F | S | S |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | ||
6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 |
13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 |
20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 |
27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 |
Arianespace Asteroids CASIS Chinese space COTS/Commercial Crew Crowdsourcing Space Exploration EELV Entertainment and Culture European Southern Observatory Exo Planets India Space Inspiration Mars Japanese Space Launch Vehicle Development Mars Moon NASA Orbital Sciences Corporation Outer Planets Russian Space SLS / Orion Soyuz Space Commerce Spacecraft Development Space Science Space Settlement Space Stations space tourism SpaceX United Launch Alliance