Rising Sun: At 1:01:46 pm EDT, JAXA successfully launched the first H-IIB rocket at Tanegashima, Japan, carrying the HTV1 (H-IIB Transfer Vehicle) with about 3.5 metric tons of supplies to the ISS. After nominal orbit insertion, HTV1 was successfully activated at ~1:40pm. Berthing to Node-2 is scheduled on 9/17 (Thursday next week). Congratulations, Nippon!
Has anyone found TLE's on this? I'd like to track it but can't seem to locate any source.
HTV FD (Flight Day) overview:FD1: PM1 (main engines), M1 (RCS Thrusters), PM1’ (RCS) – all done successfully, setting up the initial phasing for rendezvous;FD2: Far field rendezvousFD3: Far field demonstrationsFD4, FD5: Far field rendezvousFD6: IMMT review of demonstrationsFD7: Far field rendezvousFD8: Prox Ops, Capture (~3:50pm if on 9/17), InstallationCapture will occur during time without Ku-Band available.FD9: Crew half-duty day, IngressFD10: JEMRMS checkout and EP (two payloads) prepFD11: EP Transfer to JEM-EFFD12: Payloads Transfer from EP to EF (Exposed Facility) with Kibo RMS (Robotic Manipulator System)FD13: EP Transfer back to HTVFD14-38: Cargo transfer from HTV to ISSFD38: Prep for releaseFD39: Deactivation and ReleaseFD40: Re-entry
FE-4 Bob Thirsk configured two SSC (Station Support Computer) laptops to provide additional monitor views at the LAB RWS (Robotic Workstation) in support of the subsequent HTV (H-II Transfer Vehicle) activities.Then, FE-5 Frank De Winne set up the DOUG (Dynamic Operations Ubiquitous Graphics) for the subsequent SSRMS (Space Station Robotic Manipulator System) activities during which he & Nicole used the SSRMS to practice free-flyer grappling by approaching & capturing the PMA-3 FRGF (Pressurized Mating Adapter 3 Flight Releasable Grapple Fixture) as a “stand-in” for the HTV. Frank later deactivated the RWS monitor setup. Purpose of the exercise: to allow the crew to practice manual SSRMS maneuvers. After two Joint OCAS (Operator Commanded Auto Sequence) maneuvers, the SSRMS was set up in a “high hover” position over the PMA-3 FRGF, at a distance comparable to the high hover position for HTV. There are some artificial aspects to these approaches compared to the actual HTV capture, but they should provide a representation of the real SSRMS dynamics and capture sequence (including hand controller technique, Loaded Parameters, rate scale, POHS off, fast capture with dual stage rigidization and time pressure). DOUG is a frequently updated special software program running on the MSS (Mobile Service System) RWS laptops that provides a graphical birdseye-view image of the external station configuration and the SSRMS arm, showing its real-time location and configuration on a laptop during its operation.]
HTV FD (Flight Day) Overview:FD2: HTV successfully completed all FD2 far-field rendezvous demonstration activities CPU Passive Abort, three different CAMs (Collision Avoidance Maneuvers): a CPU Medium CAM, a CPU Large CAM and an ACU Checkout CAM, also an IOC Passive Abort, plus Free Drift mode.]FD3: Far field demonstrationsFD4, FD5: Far field rendezvousFD6: IMMT review of demonstrationsFD7: Far field rendezvousFD8: Prox Ops, Capture (~3:50pm if on 9/17), InstallationCapture will occur during time without Ku-Band available.FD9: Crew half-duty day, IngressFD10: JEMRMS checkout and EP (two payloads) prepFD11: EP Transfer to JEM-EFFD12: Payloads Transfer from EP to EF (Exposed Facility) with Kibo RMS (Robotic Manipulator System)FD13: EP Transfer back to HTVFD14-38: Cargo transfer from HTV to ISSFD38: Prep for releaseFD39: Deactivation and ReleaseFD40: Re-entry
Remember that what you are seeing is the ground track of the two vehicles and not the orbit plane strictly speaking. At the time of this snapshot, the ISS and HTV are several thousands of kilometers apart from each other along the same orbit. Let's play a thinking game:Say that the ISS is at its most northern part of its ground track and the HTV was at the most southern part of its ground track. And let's say that they are in exactly the same plane and the same orbital height. Fast forward one-half revolution. Now the HTV is at its most northern portion of its orbit. Is it over the same spot as ISS was one-half orbit ago? NO. Why? Remember that the Earth rotated on its own axis over that half orbit so when HTV comes flying by it won't be over the same spot even though it is in the same orbit. This is what you are seeing.