Category: News

Decision of CubeSats deployment date carried aboard KOUNOTORI 6

Last Updated: January 13, 2017

Six of the seven CubeSats launched aboard KOUNOTORI 6 from Tanegashima space center on December 9th will be deployed from Kibo on the night of January 16th (JST. GMT + 9 hours).

Planned deployment date: January 16th (Mon), 2017

① 18:00-18:30 timeframe (JST): Deployment of 4 CubeSats
② 19:30-20:00 timeframe (JST): Deployment of 2 CubeSats

via Internet:
CubeSats deployment from Kibo, the Japanese Experiment Module, will be broadcasted via JAXA YouTube channel with view of the Kibo mission control center.

Streaming start: January 16th (Mon), 2017, 17:50 (JST)

URL：　https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R4xq_rj0QiQ

[embedded content]

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World’s first survival return of all mice reared for a long time in ISS Kibo and the birth of next-generation mice

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Genes other than bone-related genes also show rapid enhancement of expression under microgravity
–Results of eight consecutive days of live imaging Medaka fish in Kibo

Last Updated: January 13, 2017

Tokyo Institute of Technology
Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency

Joint research by the Tokyo Institute of Technology and JAXA that studied the mechanisms of how bone mass decreases in microgravity using Medaka fish (Oryzias latipes) was conducted onboard the Japanese Experiment Module (“Kibo”) of the International Space Station (ISS). This research has been conducted twice: the first time in 2012 (long-term culture) and the second time in 2014 (short-term culture).

The results obtained this time were achieved from the short-term culture conducted in February 2014 when Astronaut Koichi Wakata onboard the ISS successfully video-taped live Medaka fish for eight consecutive days using a fluorescence microscope for the first time ever.

The research outcomes reveal the following:

• Rapid enhancement of the fluorescent signals of osteoblast (cells that synthesize bone) and osteoclast (cells that break bone tissue) was observed.
• Five genes related to gravity response were identified.

This research achievement was published as an online journal in Scientific Reports of the Nature Publishing Group of the United Kingdom, on December 22, 2016, at 10:00 a.m. (British time).

To read the detailed research results, refer to the webpage below.

Journal: Scientific Reports

Title: Acute transcriptional up-regulation specific for osteoblasts/osteoclasts in medaka fish immediately after exposure to microgravity DOI: 10.1038/srep39545

Authers: Masahiro Chatani,^1,✝ Hiroya Morimoto,¹ Kazuhiro Takeyama,¹ Akiko Mantoku,¹ Naoki Tanigawa,² Koji Kubota,² Hiromi Suzuki,³ Satoko Uchida,³ Fumiaki Tanigaki,⁴ Masaki Shirakawa,⁴ Oleg Gusev,^5,‡ Vladimir Sychev,⁶ Yoshiro Takano,⁷ Takehiko Itoh,¹ and Akira Kudo^1
1 Graduate School of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Yokohama 226-8501, Japan
² Chiyoda Corporation, Yokohama 220-8765, Japan
³ Department of Science and Applications, Japan Space Forum, Tokyo 101-0062, Japan
⁴ Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Tsukuba 305-8505, Japan
⁵ Institute of Fundamental Medicine and Biology, Kazan Federal University, Kazan 420008, Russia
⁶ SSC RF-Institute of Biomedical Problems RAS, Moscow, Russia
⁷ Section of Biostructural Science, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo 113-8549, Japan
^✝Current address: Department of Pharmacology, School of Dentistry, Showa University, Tokyo 142-8555, Japan
^‡Current address: RIKEN Innovation Center, RIKEN, Yokohama 230-0045, Japan

*All times are Japan Standard Time (JST)

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The JAXA Usuda Deep Space Center in Saku, Nagano Prefecture, is home to the largest parabolic antenna in Japan. This large antenna, 64 meters in diameter, was built in 1984, and it was used to communicate with Japan’s first two interplanetary space probes, Sakigake and Suisei, which were launched to study Halley’s Comet in 1985. The antenna has since handled communications with the asteroid probe Hayabusa and other deep-space probes. It is now being used to communicate with the Venus probe Akatsuki and the asteroid probe Hayabusa 2. Today, however, the antenna’s age has become an issue – it is now more than 30 years old – and a new antenna is planned for completion by the end of JFY 2019.

Developing a New Parabolic Antenna

— Tell us about the GRound station for deep space Exploration And Telecommunication (GREAT) Project.

Conceptual image of the new antenna (courtesy of Mitsubishi Electric)

We are building a new parabolic antenna to succeed the aging 64-meter one at the Usuda Deep Space Center, and to increase downlink capacity for the next period of deep-space exploration. The GREAT project team was set up officially in November 2015 for that purpose.

— What kind of antenna is being planned?

The new antenna will be 54 meters in diameter and will communicate with space probes in the X band (8 GHz) and Ka band (32 GHz). The antenna will be located in a national forest along the Tateshina Skyline road, about 1.3 km in a straight line from the existing antenna.

— Why was this location chosen?

Preparation of the planned construction site for the new antenna (courtesy of Takehana-Gumi)

Radio signals from probes navigating deep space are extremely weak. That’s why antennas are constructed in remote areas, where there is less interference from radio waves emitted by TV stations, mobile phones, etc. We chose the location where the antenna can pick up weak signals from probes. Think of this as someone trying to whisper to you from across the room when you’re surrounded by a group of noisy people. It would be easier to hear if you were somewhere quiet, right? Other reasons for choosing this site were relatively little rain, which weakens radio signals; accessibility for construction vehicles thanks to a well-maintained road; and the local support, as we already have a facility nearby. Some local people did wonder why we couldn’t build the new antenna at the Usuda Deep Space Center, where the existing antenna is located. Due to their size, it was necessary to separate the antennas enough to ensure that there would be no signal interference.

— How is development proceeding?

The basic design of the overall system, including the antenna, was finished in early October 2016, and we’re working toward completion in JFY 2019. At present, site preparation is underway and detailed blueprints are drawn up. The antenna is going to weigh roughly 2,100 tons. Groundwork for the concrete foundation that will support that weight is set to start in April 2017, with assembly of the antenna itself scheduled to begin a year later. Due to snow, we cannot do any outdoor work during the four winter months, from December to March, but we still hope to be finished and operational in time for Hayabusa 2, though that is a pretty tight schedule. Hayabusa 2 is currently on its way to the asteroid Ryugu, and is expected to arrive in mid-2018, before leaving the asteroid in late 2019.

A High-Performance Antenna Using the Latest Technology

— The new antenna will have a diameter of 54 meters, which is smaller than the existing antenna at Usuda. What reception capabilities will it have?

Conceptual drawing of the new antenna (courtesy of Mitsubishi Electric)

The new antenna’s primary reflector will be 54 meters in diameter for financial reasons. The existing antenna is 64 meters in diameter, and its aperture has roughly the surface area of 12 tennis courts. The surface area of the new antenna will be closer to nine tennis courts. Although the antenna’s capacity to receive signals will scale down by 30 percent, we are taking steps to compensate for this and maintain receiving performance.

One way of doing this is to increase the mirror surface precision of the primary reflector, which will improve receiving performance by a factor of 1.6 over the existing antenna. Radio waves cannot be collected properly if the reflector has an irregular surface, but if the entire reflector is finished to the same degree of smoothness, that enables radio waves to be properly concentrated on the focus, and receiving performance is improved. Surface imperfections on the new antenna’s primary reflector will be no more than 0.6 mm, which is less than the thickness of a credit card. An antenna this size will be deformed just from being moved or jostled – even from wind or changes in temperature. So to make sure the new antenna works as precisely as possible, we wanted to use mature technology that has been tested in the field. Japan was responsible for the development of some of the parabolic antennas used in the ALMA telescope in Chile, which was completed in 2013. Some of that technology will be incorporated into this new high-performance antenna.

— If a smaller antenna can now provide the higher performance as the older, bigger one, that means technology must have improved a lot in the past 30 years.

Yes. The new antenna will also have better pointing accuracy. Pointing accuracy refers to how accurately the antenna can be pointed at a space probe. The role of a parabolic antenna in this respect is to track and control satellites and probes using radio waves. An antenna must be able to accurately point at satellites and probes, precisely determine their position and attitude, check the state of their onboard instruments, and control them by sending command data whenever required. Now you see the degree of precision this requires. The new antenna will be able to point at a space probe with the same degree of accuracy that it would take to shoot a target roughly 40 cm in diameter from a position 2.4 km away.

The existing antenna works on the S-band (2 GHz) and X-band (8 GHz) frequencies; the new one will use the X-band and Ka-band (32 GHz) frequencies. The high-frequency Ka band is suited to high-capacity transmissions. This is why recent deep-space probes from NASA and ESA (European Space Agency) currently communicate on it. At the same time, because the Ka band has a shorter wavelength, the antenna beam is four times narrower than that of X-band frequencies. Therefore, in order to track our probes accurately, we have to increase our antenna’s pointing accuracy. I guess it could be said that we are also able to use the Ka band today because of advances in Japanese technology.

— Ka-band frequencies are also used on Hayabusa 2, right?

Hayabusa 2 is also equipped with a Ka-band antenna. However, as Japan does not yet have any ground stations that can use Ka band frequencies to communicate with space probes, at the moment we use NASA’s ground stations. Once the new antenna is completed and starts communicating with Hayabusa 2, we will be able to receive twice as much data as before. The new antenna should also play a major role in communicating with the Mercury probe scheduled to be launched in cooperation with ESA in 2018.

Operating Deep Space Probes Without Interruption

— Tell us about the history of the Usuda Deep Space Center.

Usuda Deep Space Center’s 64-meter parabolic antenna

The Usuda Deep Space Center was established about thirty years ago as the only ground station in Japan for deep-space probes. It has been involved in tracking and controlling all of Japan’s space probes, from the Halley’s Comet probes Sakigake and Suisei, which were the first probes launched by Japan into interplanetary orbit, to the recent lunar orbiter Kaguya, the asteroid probe Hayabusa and the Venus probe Akatsuki. I don’t think it was until the missing Hayabusa probe was rediscovered after three months that the role of the Usuda antenna became widely known. At the time, I heard that the center had been carefully searching for faint signals from Hayabusa every day, not knowing when it would re-appear. The center has also helped the tracking and control of NASA’s Voyager probes and so on.

You have convinced us that the antenna at Usuda is essential for the deep-space exploration.

It has been supporting the deep-space exploration program for more than 30 years. But it has exceeded its design life by more than ten years, and some of its components cannot be repaired. We need the new antenna to ensure the reliable and uninterrupted operation of deep-space probes now and in the future. I just mentioned the rediscovery of the Hayabusa probe. I believe that was possible only because there was a ground station in Japan.

— What difficulties have you experienced so far?

We don’t have anyone on our team who worked on the development of the old Usuda antenna, and without that experience we often face issues that are difficult to overcome. In particular, I was not involved in the preparation phase prior to the launch of the project, so at times it has been extremely difficult to balance the demands of the user side – the probe teams – with the pressure from management to reduce costs, while working within the confines of a budget. We understand the need to maximize antenna performance so we can accurately receive large amounts of observation data from space probes. But I believe that a project’s value stems from attaining its goals within the restrictions of its resources. This is a fundamental principle of project management, but for me, in the position of responsibility, it has been a real struggle to achieve this in practice.

— What plans are there for the future?

We experienced many birth pangs during the first year of the project, but we were able to complete the preliminary design successfully, with the support of Saku City and many others. Now, while maintaining the principles of project management, we want to do our best to ensure the project’s success. Our project team consists of researchers and engineers from two different workplaces: the Institute of Space and Astronautical Science in Sagamihara, and the Tsukuba Space Center. I hope that we can learn to work more effectively as a team and to compensate for one another’s weaknesses. If each of us can harness the spirit of teamwork, I’m sure we will be able to accomplish our goal. I have learned from experience that it is important to face any difficulties with a positive attitude, no matter what has happened. Yes, there will probably be many unanticipated problems throughout the project, but we have no choice but to confront them one at a time. Bearing this in mind, we are working toward the successful completion of the new antenna.

Although attention is usually focused on the achievements of probes in space, these could not function without the support of ground stations. I would be delighted if everyone knew about JAXA’s ground-based projects such as this one.

[Jan 12, 2017]

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Researchers successfully established a laser link with the LIDAR instrument on the Japanese asteroid probe spacecraft Hayabusa2 after its Earth swing-by in the winter of 2015. This is the third time in the world that such a link was established with a spacecraft beyond the Earth-Moon distance. The researchers used the laser link to determine the alignment of the LIDAR receiving telescope and calibrate its internal clock. These engineering improvements will allow theLIDAR to take better scientific data once Hayabusa2 reaches its destination, the asteroid 162173 Ryugu.

Like laser range finders used on Earth, normally Hayabusa2’s laser altimeter (known as Light Detection And Ranging, or LIDAR ) emits a short laser pulse and then waits for reflected laser light to come back to it. But in this experiment we instead had the LIDAR watch for laser pulses fired from Earth. We confirmed that the LIDAR detected laser pulses from the ground-based laser station at Mt. Stromlo Observatory in Canberra, Australia. We checked the alignment of the LIDAR receiving telescope by having the spacecraft change its attitude (pointing) little by little and seeing at what angle it could best detect the laser light coming from Earth. In this way, we were able to precisely determine the direction of the LIDAR field-of-view relative to the body of the spacecraft. We found that the field-of-view was in fact tilted by roughly 3.5 milli-radian (~0.2°) with respect to the spacecraft frame.

In addition, the LIDAR is equipped with an observation mode in which it can time the interval between two pulses. By comparing the interval recorded by Hayabusa2 with the actual known interval between when the pulses were sent, we also succeeded in calibrating the onboard clock frequency.

The longest distance to the spacecraft during the successful laser link was 6.6 million km. Hayabusa2 became the third example of a long-distance laser link experiment farther than the Earth-Moon distance (ca. 380 thousand km), following the MESSENGER mission to Mercury and the Mars Global Surveyor of the United States.

These results were published online on January 3, 2017 in the Earth, Planets, and Space as “Laser Link Experiment with the Hayabusa2 Laser Altimeter for In-flight Alignment Measurement” by Noda et al.

More detailed information is provided on the following site:
NAOJ/RISE project website: Hayabusa2/LIDAR Laser Link Experiment Helps Calibrate Spacecraft

• Credit: NAOJ/NICT/JAXA/CIT/SERC/NEC, Noda et al.

Jan. 10, 2017
Hirotomo Noda, Hayabusa2 LIDAR team

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Space experiment reveals the mechanisms of how PIN proteins direct one of the plant hormones “auxin” to form a seedling of a cucumber

Last Updated: December 28, 2016

Tohoku University Graduate School of Life Sciences
JAXA

Professor Hideyuki Takahashi’s group at Tohoku University Graduate School of Life Sciences elucidated that the transfer of auxin, one of the plant hormones, in plants is seen differently between under the gravity environment on the ground and under the microgravity environment in space.

The past space experiment revealed that plants grow differently in space than plants grown on the ground. The experiment conducted this time clarified the detailed movement of plant hormones in plants by observing cucumber seedlings. The results suggest that plants on the ground may have evolved by acquiring a sense of gravity direction and transferring auxin downward to control growth.

“PIN proteins” that play a role in transporting auxin out of plant cells direct the transfer of auxin in plants.

Through collaborative research with JAXA, Professor Takahashi’s group clarified that the plant seedlings emerged differently on the ground than in space depending on the level of gravity, and that PIN proteins which transfer auxin play an important role in forming the shape of plants.

The past space experiment revealed that plants grow differently in space than plants grown on the ground. This time the research reveals that PIN proteins move in cells as induced by gravitational stimulation, and cells having PIN proteins cooperate to create previously unknown paths (such as the endodermal cell layer becoming a canal through which auxin is laterally transported from the upper to lower flank). Auxins on the upper side of cucumber seedlings transfer the pathway downward to form an ideal shape for growth.

The results also suggest that this growth mechanism may easily collapse under a microgravity environment, therefore, future food cropping in space may require artificial gravity or alternative means.

The experiment was conducted by Astronaut Satoshi Furukawa while onboard the ISS and Kibo’s Payload Flight Control Team (PL FCT) on the ground.

The results were published in npj Microgravity, part of the Nature Partner Journals on September 15, 2016.

Published research
Title: The gravity-induced re-localization of auxin efflux carrier CsPIN1 in cucumber seedlings: spaceflight experiments for immunohistochemical microscopy
Authors: Chiaki Yamazaki, Nobuharu Fujii, Yutaka Miyazawa, Motoshi Kamada, Haruo Kasahara, Ikuko Osada, Toru Shimazu, Yasuo Fusejima, Akira Higashibata, Takashi Yamazaki, Noriaki Ishioka, Hideyuki Takahashi
Journal: npj Microgravity Volume Page: npj Microgravity 2, Article number: 16030 (2016) DOI:10.1038/npjmgrav.2016.30

Read more about Prof. Takahashi’s research at:

How Do Plants Grow in Microgravity?

*All times are Japan Standard Time (JST)

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Protein crystals grown in Kibo are returned to the ground alongside Astronaut Takuya Onishi (completion of the shortest-term protein growth experiment ever conducted)

Last Updated: December 28, 2016

Samples of the protein crystals launched aboard the Soyuz spacecraft (48S) on October 21 for the JAXA PCG experiment have completed growth in space, and were returned to Earth alongside Astronaut Takuya Onishi on October 30. The samples were later handed over to each researcher for analysis.

The set of samples of this growth experiment was initially scheduled for launch in mid-September aboard the Soyuz Spacecraft and to return by the end of October; however, the launch was postponed for technical reasons of the Soyuz spacecraft at the Baikonur Cosmodrome.

As there was no chance for another launch opportunity, JAXA experts at the launch site and in Japan focused on the retention of samples and prepared additional protein samples in coordination with researchers in a short time. As a result, the samples are ready for the next launch opportunity that was set for one month later.

Given their full grasp of the candidate proteins, JAXA experts flexibly chose suitable samples for a short-term experiment to optimize the limited opportunity of ten days.

Protein Crystal Growth in the International Space Station

http://iss.jaxa.jp/kiboexp/theme/first/protein/en/index.html

*All times are Japan Standard Time (JST)

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Transfer of the Exposed Pallet (EP) begins

Last Updated: December 14, 2016

The Exposed Pallet (EP) with the new ISS battery Orbital Replacement Units (ORUs) onboard was pulled out from the Unpressurized Logistics Carrier (ULC) of KOUNOTORI6 on December 14, at 4:44 p.m.

The EP will be transferred and temporarily placed on the designated location of an ISS truss.

*All times are Japan Standard Time (JST)

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First announcement for the third “Space Environment and Kibo Utilization Workshop (SEKUW)”

Last Updated: December 14, 2016

First Announcement

Space Environment and Kibo Utilization Workshop

Vayupak Convention Center
Centara Government Complex Hotel & Convention Centre Chaeng Watthana
Bangkok, Thailand
9-10 February 2017

We are pleased to inform you that the 3rdSpace Environment and Kibo Utilization Workshop (SEKUW) will be held in Bangkok, Thailand on 9-10 February 2017. SEKUW is jointly organized by Geo-Informatics and the Space Technology Development Agency (GISTDA), National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA), and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) under the Space Environment Utilization Working Group (SEUWG), Asia-Pacific Regional Space Agency Forum (APRSAF).

Tentative program (PDF file)

Registration (Excel File)

Workshop Information

Reference

Objectives

SEKUW is an international workshop conferred by those countries participating in the Asian Kibo Utilization Workshop in order to provide the latest information from various fields of space research, especially microgravity experiments. The main objective of the workshop is finding potential space experiments to be conducted in the “Kibo” module on the International Space Station. The previous workshop was successfully held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in April 2016, and a feasibility study on several Kibo utilization experiments proposed at that workshop has begun.

The third workshop will be held this year in Bangkok, Thailand. Thailand has participated in past space activities toward realizing Kibo/ISS missions and has a long history of collaboration with Japan. We expect to see new proposals for the advancement of space research as a result of this workshop.

Beneficial and instructive talks will be provided by an experienced JAXA technical team consisting of the life science specialist and exposed experiment expert of Kibo during this workshop.

We sincerely hope that you will actively join our 3rd SEKUW, and look forward to meeting you soon in Bangkok.

Space Environment Utilization Working Group
APRSAF-24

Workshop Information

Date and Venue
Date: 9-10 February 2017
Venue: Vayupak Convention Center, Room BB404 Centara Government Complex Hotel & Convention Centre Chaeng Watthana
120 Mu 3 Convention Centre Building Road,
Chaeng Watthana, Lak Si, Bangkok 10210 Thailand

Organizers
Thailand: Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency (GISTDA)
　　　　　National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA)
Japan: Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)
Space Environment Utilization Working Group (SEUWG), APRSAF-24

Hosted by
Thailand: Geo-Informatics and the Space Technology Development Agency (GISTDA)

Registration
Please email to SEUWG@aprsaf.org by January 27(Friday).

Points of Contact
E-mail: SEUWG@aprsaf.org Phone: + 661414605 (Thailand)
Mr. Paritat Theanthong (NSTDA), Ms. Napasorn Jongjittanon (GISTDA),
Ms.Yoshimi Osada (JAXA)

Reference

SEKUW Announcement from NSTDA, Thailand

GEOINFOTECH 2017

Geo-Informatics and the Space Technology Development Agency (GISTDA)

National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA)

JAXA Kibo/ISS Utilization for Asia-Pacific region

Space Environment Utilization Working Group (SEUWG) (PDF file)

Kibo-ABC Initiatives of SEUWG

Asia-Pacific Regional Space Agency Forum (APRSAF)

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ISS/Kibo Monthly News: October – November, 2016

Last Updated: December 8, 2016

Topic of the Month

Astronaut Takuya Onishi undergoing rehabilitation after returning to Earth

Astronaut Takuya Onishi, who landed on Earth on October 30, has returned to Ellington Airport near the NASA Johnson Space Center in the wee hours of the next day.

Onishi underwent a simple medical checkup and motor function test, and then began full-fledged rehabilitation the next day. Thanks to the exercise Onishi underwent almost every day on orbit, his muscles and bone density showed little deterioration. His rehabilitation thus focuses on recovering a sense of balance.

On the fifth day of his rehabilitation, Onishi wrote in his Google+ that the motions he felt difficult to do may be similar to those that elderly people experience. On the ninth day, Onishi started running on a dedicated treadmill created by NASA for rehabilitation that generates air pressure to alleviate strain on such joints as the knees.

KOUNOTORI6 and CubeSats unveiled to the media

On October 19, the H-II Transfer Vehicle KOUNOTORI6 (HTV6) was opened to the media and a briefing session for the mission was held at the Tanegashima Space Center (TNSC).

The payload of KOUNOTORI6, the improvements made to KOUNOTORI6, and delivery of the new ISS batteries were explained.

On November 7, seven microsatellites (CubeSats) and the upgraded CubeSat deployer (JEM Small Satellite Orbital Deployer: J-SSOD) with double the deployment capacity, both of which will be delivered aboard KOUNOTORI6, were also unveiled to the media.

The number of deployments from the J-SSOD during one mission term will be the largest ever. JAXA has been and will be enhancing the deployment capacity in response to the growing demand for CubeSat deployment.

KOUNOTORI6 is scheduled for launch on December 9, at 10:26 p.m.

HTV6 payload

Results of Onishi’s mission

Return of the protein crystal samples and initial microscopic results

High Quality Protein Crystal Growth (JAXA PCG) research is one of Japan’s specialty experiments.

The protein samples that were carried to the ISS on October 19 aboard the Soyuz spacecraft (48S) underwent a short-term experiment of about 10 days, and then were returned to Earth with Astronaut Onishi on October 30.

On November 2, immediately after being returned from Russia to Japan, the samples were viewed under a microscope to determine their condition. About 60% of the samples were admitted as being bearable for detailed analysis.

These obtained samples will be handed over to researchers for analysis at synchrotron radiation facilities (such as SPring-8).

One recent achievement of this experiment is seen in the successful collaborative experiment conducted between JAXA and Chuo University that involved the synthesis and structural analysis of artificial blood for dogs.

Capture of the Cygnus spacecraft

The Cygnus spacecraft (Orbital ATK CRS-5 or OA-5) was launched on October 18 with system hardware, experiment equipment, food, and other supplies for the onboard crew.

Onishi maneuvered the Space Station Remote Manipulator System (SSRMS) and became the first Japanese astronaut to capture the Cygnus spacecraft in space.

Later, the ground team maneuvered the SSRMS to transfer the Cygnus spacecraft and then berthed it to the Unity (Node 1) module.

Preparation for the combustion experiment

In Kibo, preparations have been completed for the combustion experiment.

The experiment titled “Elucidation of Flame Spread and Group Combustion Excitation Mechanism of Randomly-distributed Droplet Clouds (Group Combustion)” will be the first combustion experiment to be conducted in Kibo. Onishi placed the Group Combustion Experiment Module (GCEM) into the Chamber for Combustion Experiment (CCE), and then installed it in the Multi-purpose Small Payload Rack (MSPR). Later he performed the leak check.

Initial checkout of the Electrostatic Levitation Furnace (ELF)

The Electrostatic Levitation Furnace (ELF) enables the acquisition of the high-precision thermophysical properties of materials with high-melting points (e.g. 3,000℃). In the ELF, sample materials are levitated using electrostatic force and then melted by laser, in order to study their physical properties, such as viscosity, density and surface tension.

Onishi prepared for the initial checkout and exchanged sample cartridges.

Kibo this month

CALET data supports the finding of LIGO

The CALorimetric Electron Telescope (CALET) that has been attached to the Exposed Facility (EF) of Kibo supported the finding of the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) of the United States. At the time, LIGO detected gravitational waves, but CALET didn’t detect X-rays or gamma rays. Therefore, as speculated, the data of CALET confirmed that the gravitational waves detected were derived from the merger of a pair of black holes.

Receipt of samples from Turkey for the exposed experiment

In September, JAXA and the Republic of Turkey signed a new cooperation arrangement concerning the utilization of Kibo for deploying a microsatellite (CubeSat) from the Kibo module and conducting material experiments in an exposed environment using the Exposed Experiment Handrail Attachment Mechanism (ExHAM) attached to Kibo’s EF.

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