Kirobo is just one piece of cargo among the thousands of pounds
riding to the space station aboard Japan's HTV-4 spacecraft. Included among the
3.5 tons of cargo aboard are about 1,880 pounds (852 kilograms) or spare part
and new experiment supplies to be attached to the station's exterior.
"Among the items within Kounotori's pressurized logistics
carrier are test samples for research experiments inside the Kibo laboratory, a
new freezer capable of preserving materials at temperatures below -90 F, four
small CubeSat satellites to be deployed from Kibo’s airlock as well as food,
water and other supplies for the station’s crew," NASA officials said in
an update. "The pressurized section also is delivering new hardware for
the Robotic Refueling Mission to demonstrate robotic satellite-servicing tools,
technologies and techniques."
This is the fourth mission for JAXA's HTV program (the name is short for H-2 Transfer Vehicle) since 2009. The cylindrical disposable spacecraft are built to haul up to 6 tons of cargo to the International Space Station and then be discarded at the mission's end.
HTV craft are called Kounotori (Japanese for "White
Stork") and are about 33 feet long by 14.4 feet wide (10 by 4.4 meters).
They carry supplies and equipment inside a pressurized section, which
astronauts can access after the vehicle links up with the station. They also
have an unpressurized section that can be accessed via the station's robotic to
retrieve spare parts and other larger gear that can be stored on the orbiting
lab's exterior.
All JAXA HTV spacecraft are designed to be captured using by
astronauts using the space station's robotic arm. After the HTV craft is
grappled, it is then attached to an open berthing spot on the orbiting lab.
NASA astronauts Karen Nyberg and Chris Cassidy will control the station's
robotic arm in order to capture HTV-4 on Aug. 9.
Space station's robot fleet
Japan's HTV spacecraft are
just one of several robotic spacecraft that make regular shipments to the
International Space Station. Russia's unmanned Progress spacecraft and the
Automated Transfer Vehicles built by the European Space Agency also make
periodic deliveries.
Two private U.S. spaceflight companies also have billion-dollar
contracts with NASA to provide robotic cargo deliver missions to the space
station.
The Hawthorne, Calif.-based SpaceX has already launched two of 12
planned delivery flights for NASA using its Dragon space capsules as
part of a $1.6 billion deal with the U.S. space agency. Unlike all other
robotic cargo ships serving the station, SpaceX's Dragon capsules can also
return hardware and experiments to Earth.
NASA also has a $1.9 billion deal with the Dulles, Va.-based
Orbital Sciences Corp. for at least eight delivery flights using the company's
new Antares rocket and Cygnus spacecraft. The Antares rocket flew its first
test flight in April and is slated to launch the maiden Cygnus delivery mission
to the space station in mid-September.
The International Space Station is currently home to six
astronauts representing three different countries and space agencies. Its
Expedition 36 crew consists of three Russian cosmonauts, two American
astronauts and an Italian astronaut representing the European Space Agency.
NASA officials said the space station crew watched the HTV-4
launch via a live video link while soaring 260 miles (418 kilometers) over
southwest Russia. The Japanese cargo ship will be captured via robotic arm on
Friday, Aug. 9, at 7:29 a.m. EDT (1129 GMT) and be attached to the space
station at about 9:30 a.m. EDT (1330 GMT).
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