H-II Transfer Vehicle

Blob · #1 (**permalink**) 30-June-2006, 11:07 PM

On June 23, JAXA unveiled to the press a prototype of the "H-II Transfer Vehicle" (HTV), at the Tsukuba Space Centre (TKSC.)
The HTV is an unmanned orbital carrier which is designed to transport goods to the International Space Station (ISS). The HTV is a cylindrical-shaped inter-orbital carrier whose length is 10 meters and diameter is 4.4 meters at the largest section.
It is equipped with both the function of a "manned cargo carrier" for ISS crews to actually embark and carry out supportive work on it and the function of an "inter-orbital carrier" to perform "inter-orbit transportation to a selected attitude," "rendezvous flights to the ISS," and "re-entry" to aim to acquire the necessary technology for autonomous activities in space.

Outline of the HTV project

* Length: about 10 m (including thruster)
* Diameter: about 4.4 m
* Mass: about 10.5 ton (excluding cargo)
* Loading capacity (for supply): about 6 tons
* Loading capacity (for waste): about 6 tons
* Target orbit: ISS orbit
Altitude: 350 to 460 km
Inclination: about 51.6 degrees
* Mission hours:
Solo flight: about 100 hours
Stand-by: more than a week
Docked with the ISS: about 30 days

It will be able to transport six tons of goods to the ISS. The prototype is manufactured for various environmental tests on the ground to check if it can bear with the temperature changes in space and acoustic and vibration environment at the time of the launch.
The HTV is scheduled to be launched by an augmented H-IIA, the H-IIB launch vehicle, which is currently under development, in Japan Fiscal Year 2008.

Source JAXA

Manchurian Taikonaut · #2 (**permalink**) 03-July-2006, 01:56 AM

a bit here aswell
Japan's H2 HTV for the ISS and other Japanese space plans
H2 HTV for the ISS

the Euro version,
Jules Verne in space
ATV designed to work like Russia's unmanned progress ship

01101001 · #3 (**permalink**) 05-September-2009, 08:33 AM

Thread revived for launch.

JAXA: HTV Special Site

Quote:

September 3, 2009 Updated
HTV/H-IIB Live Launch through the Internet at 1:30 a.m. on Sept. 11th (Fri, JST)

The H-II Transfer Vehicle (HTV) Demonstration Flight and the H-IIB Launch Vehicle are undergoing final launch preparations at the Vehicle Assembly Building waiting for their launch on Sept. 11 (Fri.) JAXA will broadcast a live launch report through the Internet from 1:30 a.m. on Sept. 11th (Japan Standard Time.)

JAXA: H-II Transfer Vehicle (HTV)

Quote:

On August 30, the encapsulated HTV Demonstration Flight was transported to the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB.) It will be loaded onto the H-IIB Launch Vehicle to be ready for the launch on September 11.

JAXA: Launch of the H-IIB Launch Vehicle Test Flight

Quote:

Scheduled date of launch : September 11 (Friday,) 2009 (Japan Standard Time, JST)
Launch time : Around 2:04 a.m. (JST)
Launch windows : September 12 (Sat) through 30 (Wed) 2009 (JST)
Launch Site : Yoshinobu Launch Complex at the Tanegashima Space Center

(I'm not sure why the launch time and launch windows differ so. Web page says launch is contingent on ISS management decisions.)

Launch target:
2009, September 10, 1004 PDT, Thursday
2009, September 10, 1304 EDT, Thursday
2009, September 10, 1704 UTC, Thursday
2009, September 11, 0204 JST, Friday

Around 5 days to launch

Glom · #4 (**permalink**) 05-September-2009, 05:09 PM

For launch? Is this the first such supply mission to ISS?

BetaDust · #5 (**permalink**) 05-September-2009, 05:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Glom

For launch? Is this the first such supply mission to ISS?

For the H-II Transfer Vehicle, yes.

01101001 · #6 (**permalink**) 10-September-2009, 06:01 AM

JAXA September Press Releases (Launch Time...):

Quote:

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency decided to set the launch time of the H-IIB Launch Vehicle with the H-II Transfer Vehicle (HTV) Demonstration Flight onboard from the Tanegashima Space Center (TNSC) at 2:01:46 a.m. on September 11 (Fri,) 2009 (Japan Standard Time.)

Launch target:
2009, September 10, 1001 PDT, Thursday
2009, September 10, 1301 EDT, Thursday
2009, September 10, 1701 UTC, Thursday
2009, September 11, 0201 JST, Friday

12 hours to launch

ravens_cry · #7 (**permalink**) 10-September-2009, 06:36 AM

Wow, it seems everyone is getting into the 'ISS resupply' business these days. I wonder if these could be modified to act as fuel carriers for manned missions further afield, in a Earth Orbit Rendezvous type lunar mission.
Best of luck, JAXA!

01101001 · #8 (**permalink**) 10-September-2009, 06:54 AM

There is a launch countdown clock at:
JAXA: HTV Special Site

All appears well at the Tanegashima web cam

JAXA: Overview of the HTV

Quote:

In addition to Russia's cargo spacecraft, Progress, and the U.S. Space Shuttle, the Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV), developed and built by the European Space Agency (ESA), and Japan's HTV will be utilized for delivering supplies to the ISS. Among these cargo-carrying spacecraft, the HTV is the only unmanned vehicle that can carry both pressurized and unpressurized cargo. This is a unique special feature of the HTV.
Another advantage of the HTV is its 1.2 by 1.2 meters square hatch, which is larger than ATV's round hatch with a diameter of only 0.8 meter. Although HTV's cargo capacity is smaller than ATV's, its larger hatch size allows it to carry large objects such as experiment devices.
Under the current plan, the HTV will be the only cargo supplier that can carry large objects after the retirement of the Space Shuttle.

Zvezdichko · #9 (**permalink**) 10-September-2009, 03:15 PM

I hope there will be no technical issues and the weather won't be a constraint. I don't know the weather criteria, but HTV for sure doesn't need a good RTLS weather plus a good weather over a TAL site. And yes, Japan is not Florida.

BetaDust · #10 (**permalink**) 10-September-2009, 06:04 PM

Launch!

BetaDust · #11 (**permalink**) 10-September-2009, 06:13 PM

Dous anyone know why several people in the japanese control room are wearing surgical masks?

BetaDust · #12 (**permalink**) 10-September-2009, 06:18 PM

The H-II Transfer Vehicle has savely been put into orbit!

Bravo JAXA!!!

Glom · #13 (**permalink**) 10-September-2009, 06:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BetaDust

Dous anyone know why several people in the japanese control room are wearing surgical masks?

Loads of people in the Far East where surgical masks. It's a fashion thing.

Clearly, they're not that good at updating their website as NASA.

BetaDust · #14 (**permalink**) 10-September-2009, 07:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Glom

Loads of people in the Far East where surgical masks. It's a fashion thing.

Well I did not see any of this kind, in that control room.

But, seriously why would one wear a surgical mask in a control room?

selden · #15 (**permalink**) 10-September-2009, 08:08 PM

Quote:

But, seriously why would one wear a surgical mask in a control room?

Apparently everyone in Japan is very concerned about the spread of H1N1.

http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-b...0090822a1.html

BetaDust · #16 (**permalink**) 10-September-2009, 10:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by selden

Apparently everyone in Japan is very concerned about the spread of H1N1.

Oww, offcourse, H1N1, I did not think of that...
I feel pretty silly right now. (I work in a Medical Center).

--Dennis

01101001 · #17 (**permalink**) 11-September-2009, 01:27 AM

JAXA: HTV Special Site

Quote:

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) launched the H-II Transfer Vehicle (HTV) Demonstration Flight aboard the H-IIB Launch Vehicle Test Flight (H-IIB TF1) at 2:01:46 a.m. on September 11, 2009 (Japan Standard Time, JST) from the Tanegashima Space Center. The launch vehicle flew smoothly, and, at about 15 minutes and 6 seconds after liftoff, the separation of the HTV Demonstration Flight was confirmed.

The HTV will gradually approach the International Space Station (ISS) and berth at the ISS on the 18th (Friday, JST.)

Congratulations, JAXA and Japan.

01101001 · #18 (**permalink**) 11-September-2009, 01:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zvezdichko

And yes, Japan is not Florida.

Southern Japan is not so different from Florida. Japan very roughly mimics the USA east coast, in size and climate, from cool Maine down to near-tropical Florida.

Tanegashima Space Center Latitude: 30.4 N
Kennedy Space Center Latitude: 28.5 N

But, yes, the weather should be somewhat different between the very small island and the cape on the large peninsula.

mto · #19 (**permalink**) 14-September-2009, 04:43 AM

http://iss.jaxa.jp/en/htv/mission/htv-1/news/

Quote:

CAM Demonstration Concluded with Great Success（September 12, 2009） The Collision Avoidance Maneuver (CAM) demonstration went quite smoothly. The last maneuver took place at 4:34 p.m.,September 12, and with that, the HTV-1 concluded all the CAM tests. The HTV-1's systems functioned well throughout the demonstration, proving that the HTV-1 could safely move away from the International Space Station (ISS) in case of any emergency during its final rendezvous phase. The data obtained during today's demonstration will be reviewed at NASA's ISS Mission Management Team (IMMT) meeting on FD6 for approval for the HTV-1's final approach to the ISS. The next HTV-1 Mission update will be posted on September 15.

mugaliens · #20 (**permalink**) 14-September-2009, 07:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by selden

Apparently everyone in Japan is very concerned about the spread of H1N1.

Long before H1N1 came on the scene, they still wore surgical masks. They do it in Korea, as well.

When you pack 17 million people into the same square milage in a US city that holds half a million, particularly when the society is a lot more homogeneous than we Americans, avoiding the spread of contagious diseases becomes a big concern.

Antice · #21 (**permalink**) 14-September-2009, 07:16 AM

the Air quality in the cities become a major concern as well. the amount of particulate polution from 17 million people going about their business is a real menace to those living there. surgical masks help aleviate that too.

mto · #22 (**permalink**) 14-September-2009, 06:50 PM

HTV Mission Timeline SPACEFLIGHT NOW (link)

JAXA update (link)

Quote:

HTV-1 Maintains Smooth Flight
Last Updated: September 14, 2009

Flight Day 5 (FD5), the HTV-1 is continuing the smooth flight.
Tomorrow, Flight Day 6 (FD6), the result of the HTV-1 demonstration tests will be reviewed at the ISS Mission Management Team (IMMT) meeting. In the meeting, safety and flight control abilities of the HTV-1 will be assessed based on the data collected during the demonstration tests conducted on FD3. When the IMMT gives an approval for the HTV-1's final rendezvous approach, the HTV-1 is set to perform the first Height Adjustment Maneuver (HAM) on FD7 toward the ISS.
Aboard the International Space Station (ISS), the ISS crewmembers have been performing various preparations and training for the arrival of the HTV-1 expected on September 18. So far, the crew configured the Common Berthing Mechanism (CBM) at the nadir side of the Harmony (Node2), a berthing port for the HTV-1, prepared the Extravehicular Activity (EVA) tools for a potential contingency spacewalk, and set up the equipment that will be used for the HTV berthing operations. The crewmembers, who will manipulate the station’s robotic arm (SSRMS) during the capturing/berthing operations, have thoroughly simulated and reviewed the operations procedures.

The next HTV-1 Mission updates will be posted on September 15.

publiusr · #23 (**permalink**) 14-September-2009, 11:05 PM

Pepsi should get on board--what with the shape looking just like a can of their product.

KaiYeves · #24 (**permalink**) 15-September-2009, 02:26 AM

Congrats to JAXA!

mto · #25 (**permalink**) 15-September-2009, 06:00 PM

http://iss.jaxa.jp/en/htv/news/htv1_fd06.html

Quote:

HTV-1 Approved for Proximity Operations and Final Approach
Last Updated: September 15, 2009
Fight Day 6 (FD6), the HTV-1 continues the far-field rendezvous flight.
Today, the International Space Station (ISS) Mission Management Team (MMT) approved the HTV-1’s proximity operations and final approach. Having received the approval from the ISS program, the HTV-1 is set to perform its first Height Adjustment Maneuver (HAM) on Flight Day 7 (FD7) at 9:03 a.m. September 16.
On Flight Day 8 (FD8), after performing two more HAM burns, the HTV-1 will reach the proximity communication zone (23km from the ISS) where the HTV-1 can directly communicate with the ISS. There, the HTV-1 will establish communications with the Proximity Communication System (PROX) that is installed on the Japanese Experiment Module, Kibo, and then, the HTV-1 will continue to approach the ISS until it reaches the “Approach Initiation (AI) point”, 5 km behind the ISS. The HTV-1 is scheduled to move from the AI point to a point 500 meters below the ISS (RI point) at 0:30 a.m. September 18. From the RI point, the nadir side of the ISS, the HTV-1 will slowly move upward to the ISS.
Capture of the HTV-1 by the station’s robotic arm (SSRMS) is scheduled at 4:50 a.m. September 18. Berthing operations of the HTV-1 is expected to begin at 7:00 a.m. September 18.
The next HTV-1 Mission update will be posted on September 16.

mahesh · #26 (**permalink**) 15-September-2009, 11:28 PM

It's great to see it happening live...

The ascent towards the ISS has started... 185 miles and counting

Quote:

Originally Posted by SpaceflightNow

...
..The International Space Station Mission Management Team adjourned with a "go" to continue the final phase of the rendezvous, which begins at 0003 GMT Wednesday with a height adjustment maneuver to raise the ship's altitude to match the orbit of the complex.

Wednesday's HAM 1 engine burn is the largest maneuver for the spacecraft between launch and arrival at the station.

More burns are on tap beginning early Thursday to bring the HTV within about three miles of the station, where the vehicle will commence its final approach around 1529 GMT....

...Flying across Europe and Africa towards the Indian Ocean, matching ISS's trajectory

mto · #27 (**permalink**) 16-September-2009, 03:08 PM

http://iss.jaxa.jp/en/htv/news/htv1_maneuver1.html

Quote:

The HTV-1 Performed the First Height Adjustment Maneuver
Last Updated: September 16, 2009

On Flight Day 7 (FD7), the HTV-1 successfully performed its first Height Adjustment Maneuver (HAM1) at 9:04 a.m. September 16. The HTV-1 is now flying in a near-circular orbit with apogee altitude 324 km and perigee altitude 305 km, as planned.
On Flight Day 8 (FD8), the HTV-1 is scheduled to perform two more Height Adjustment Maneuvers (HAM0 and HAM3) at 6:24 p.m. and 9:26 p.m. September 17, respectively. With these maneuvers, the HTV-1 will be inserted into the orbit of the ISS.　The HTV-1 is expected to arrive at 5 km behind the ISS at 10:59 p.m. September 17.
The next HTV-1 Mission updates will be posted on September 17.

Glom · #28 (**permalink**) 16-September-2009, 06:09 PM

It says it was launched from Tanegashima Space Center. That name is so much cooler than some Scottish thing.

Does it berth at Kibo or at Harmony?

When it talks about taking waste and reentering, I assume this is the incineration method of waste management?

KaiYeves · #29 (**permalink**) 17-September-2009, 12:40 AM

Is it reflective enough to be seen from the ground?

01101001 · #30 (**permalink**) 17-September-2009, 01:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Glom

It says it was launched from Tanegashima Space Center.

Tanega Shima
種子島
Seed Island

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