Kounotori 6

Kounotori 6
Mission type ISS resupply
Operator JAXA
Spacecraft properties
Spacecraft type HTV
Start of mission
Launch date 2016 (planned)[1]
Rocket H-IIB 304
Launch site Tanegashima Y2
Contractor Mitsubishi
Orbital parameters
Reference system Geocentric
Regime Low Earth
Inclination 51.6 degrees
Epoch Planned
Berthing at ISS
Berthing port Harmony nadir
← Kounotori 5 Kounotori 7 →

Kounotori 6 (こうのとり6号機), also known as HTV-6, will be the sixth flight of the H-II Transfer Vehicle, an unmanned cargo spacecraft launched to resupply the International Space Station.

This is the second to last Kounotori flight of the originally planned 7.[2] As of early 2015, it is planned to be launched in 2016.[1]

Spacecraft

Kounotori 6 will test several new technologies. The mission will test thin film solar cells in space.[3] An reentry capsule, essentially a miniaturized HTV-R capsule, will be carried in the pressurized section.[4]

This HTV flight will also have an experimental electrodynamic tether (EDT).[5][6] The tether is equipped with an 20 kg end-mass, and will be 700 m long when deployed.[5] A maximum 10 mA current will run through the tether.[5] Kounotori's ISS rendezvous sensor will be utilized to measure how the end-mass moves during the test.[5] The EDT experiment will be conducted following Kounotori 6's departure from the ISS, and is to be held for a week.[5] After the experiment, the tether will be separated before the spacecraft proceeds with the de-orbit maneuvers.

The main objective of this experiment is the orbital demonstration of both extending an uncoated "bare-tether", and driving electric currents through the EDT.[6] These two technologies will contribute to gaining capabilities to remove space debris.[6]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "International Space Station Flight Schedule". SEDS. 2015-03-13. Retrieved 15 March 2015.
  2. ↑ "宇宙ステーション補給機 こうのとり（HTV）" (in Japanese). Mitsubishi Electric Corporation. Retrieved 10 March 2015.
  3. ↑ "参加者確認公募" (PDF) (in Japanese). JAXA. 2015-01-13. Retrieved 20 March 2015.
  4. ↑ "契約相手方の選定結果の公示" (PDF) (in Japanese). JAXA. 2014-08-08. Retrieved 20 March 2015.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 "HTV搭載導電性テザー実証実験の検討状況について" (PDF) (in Japanese). JAXA. 2013-09-04. Retrieved 26 December 2014.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 "JAXA、宇宙ゴミ除去技術の確立に向け「こうのとり」利用" (in Japanese). Response staff. 2013-09-09. Retrieved 21 March 2015.

External links