LIVE: HTV-2 ISS Arrival and Docked Mission Updates - Jan. 27+, 2011

[robertross]

Japan’s HTV-2 set to depart ISS after two month visit - really excellent article by Pete "Mr ISS" Harding

http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2011/03/japans-htv-2-depart-iss-two-month-visit/

Great article Pete.

"glorified trash can". Sad but true.
They must be happier than a clam(shell) for the extra room on orbit now!

And obviously they have no plans to bring Robonaut down, having shed its cargo container.

[Robotbeat]

Good article, Pete!

BTW, I've heard of plans to make HTV something more than a "glorified trash can." I.E. Able to survive reentry. Any news of this?

[Space Pete]

Robotbeat - yes, that is the HTV-R concept.

There are three options:
Option 1 - Fly a small re-entry pod inside the PLC.
Option 2  - Fly a small re-entry capsule in the ULC, accessed by a hatch in the back of the PLC.
Option 3 - replace the entire PLC with a re-entry capsule. This could be capable of returning crew.

ESA are also pursuing a re-entry concept for their ATV, however that has lost momentum lately due to a lack of demand.

The ISS international partners are currently working to develop a "common transportation policy". Once this policy has been finalised, we'll know which agencies are going to pursue re-entry capability. They might just deicide that Dragons alone are enough.

[Lewis007]

Some pictures of the HTV-2 release from Cady Coleman's twitter page.

[Chris Bergin]

Heads up, we'll stay on here until the end of today and then move the thread back to the Japanese section.

[Ronsmytheiii]

Robotbeat - yes, that is the HTV-R concept.

There are three options:
Option 1 - Fly a small re-entry pod inside the PLC.
Option 2  - Fly a small re-entry capsule in the ULC, accessed by a hatch in the back of the PLC.
Option 3 - replace the entire PLC with a re-entry capsule. This could be capable of returning crew.

ESA are also pursuing a re-entry concept for their ATV, however that has lost momentum lately due to a lack of demand.

The ISS international partners are currently working to develop a "common transportation policy". Once this policy has been finalised, we'll know which agencies are going to pursue re-entry capability. They might just deicide that Dragons alone are enough.

Dont forget there is a reentry capsule proposed for Cygnus as well.

[Fuji]

Successful Re-entry of HTV2
The H-II Transfer Vehicle "KOUNOTORI2" (HTV2) successfully re-entered the atmosphere after the third de-orbit maneuver at 11:44 a.m. on Wednesday, March 30, 2011 (JST).

The HTV2 successfully accomplished the main objective of shipping cargo to the International Space Station, and completed all of its missions over 67 days with today's re-entry.
The estimated times for re-entry and water landing are as follows: (Times are in JST)

Estimated re-entry time*: around 0:09 p.m. on Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Estimated water landing time: between 0:21 and 0:41 p.m. on Wednesday, March 30, 2011
*Altitude at 120 km

http://www.jaxa.jp/press/2011/03/20110330_kounotori2_e.html

[Chris Bergin]

Successful Re-entry of HTV2
The H-II Transfer Vehicle "KOUNOTORI2" (HTV2) successfully re-entered the atmosphere after the third de-orbit maneuver at 11:44 a.m. on Wednesday, March 30, 2011 (JST).

The HTV2 successfully accomplished the main objective of shipping cargo to the International Space Station, and completed all of its missions over 67 days with today's re-entry.
The estimated times for re-entry and water landing are as follows: (Times are in JST)

Estimated re-entry time*: around 0:09 p.m. on Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Estimated water landing time: between 0:21 and 0:41 p.m. on Wednesday, March 30, 2011
*Altitude at 120 km

http://www.jaxa.jp/press/2011/03/20110330_kounotori2_e.html

Thanks Fuji. Farewell HTV-2.

[ChrisC]

Any early word on whether any data was received from the Re-entry Breakup Recorder (REBR) device that was monitoring the HTV's breakup during reentry?

[Space Pete]

Rest In Peace, HTV-2. Thanks for your service. People will remember this awesome mission for years to come.

Way to go to the Japanese teams too, especially in these difficult times.

[Mark Dave]

I wonder if there will be any photos or video of an HTV reentry like is seen sometimes with the ATV and Soyuz?

[mto]

Any early word on whether any data was received from the Re-entry Breakup Recorder (REBR) device that was monitoring the HTV's breakup during reentry?

First spacecraft 'black box' survives re-entry
http://www.newscientist.com/blogs/onepercent/2011/03/spacecraft-blackbox-survives-r.html

[Space Pete]

First REBR Reentry a Success.

EL SEGUNDO, March 30 -- The first Reentry Breakup Recorder (REBR), an instrument designed and constructed by engineers at The Aerospace Corporation, successfully recorded data as it plunged through the atmosphere on Tuesday night aboard the disintegrating Japanese HTV-2 spacecraft.

The REBR then "phoned home" the data via the Iridium satellite system as it fell into the South Pacific Ocean Tuesday evening.

"It performed beautifully," said Dr. Bill Ailor, director of Aerospace's Center for Orbital and Reentry Debris Studies and REBR development team leader. "The data we've gathered is absolutely unique and will shed new light on the phenomenon of how satellites and launch stages break apart on reentry."

Although it was not designed to survive impact with the water, the REBR did in fact remain intact and continued to transmit data for hours as it bobbed in the ocean between Chile and New Zealand. Analysis of the data will take six to eight weeks.

The REBR is a small autonomous device that is designed to record temperature, acceleration, rotation rate, and other data as a spacecraft reenters Earth's atmosphere.

The Aerospace Corporation designed REBR to collect data during atmospheric reentries of space hardware in order to help understand breakup and increase the safety of such reentries. The REBR project was supported by the U.S. Air Force, NASA, and the Boeing Company. The first flight test of the small, autonomous device was coordinated by the Department of Defense's Space Test Program.

A second REBR will reenter the atmosphere aboard the European ATV2 vehicle in early June.

http://www.aero.org/news/newsitems/032911-REBRsuccess.html

[robertross]

First REBR Reentry a Success.

EL SEGUNDO, March 30 -- The first Reentry Breakup Recorder (REBR), an instrument designed and constructed by engineers at The Aerospace Corporation, successfully recorded data as it plunged through the atmosphere on Tuesday night aboard the disintegrating Japanese HTV-2 spacecraft.

The REBR then "phoned home" the data via the Iridium satellite system as it fell into the South Pacific Ocean Tuesday evening.

"It performed beautifully," said Dr. Bill Ailor, director of Aerospace's Center for Orbital and Reentry Debris Studies and REBR development team leader. "The data we've gathered is absolutely unique and will shed new light on the phenomenon of how satellites and launch stages break apart on reentry."

Although it was not designed to survive impact with the water, the REBR did in fact remain intact and continued to transmit data for hours as it bobbed in the ocean between Chile and New Zealand. Analysis of the data will take six to eight weeks.

The REBR is a small autonomous device that is designed to record temperature, acceleration, rotation rate, and other data as a spacecraft reenters Earth's atmosphere.

The Aerospace Corporation designed REBR to collect data during atmospheric reentries of space hardware in order to help understand breakup and increase the safety of such reentries. The REBR project was supported by the U.S. Air Force, NASA, and the Boeing Company. The first flight test of the small, autonomous device was coordinated by the Department of Defense's Space Test Program.

A second REBR will reenter the atmosphere aboard the European ATV2 vehicle in early June.

http://www.aero.org/news/newsitems/032911-REBRsuccess.html

Awesome!