Kounotori 6
| Mission type | ISS resupply | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Operator | JAXA | ||
| Spacecraft properties | |||
| Spacecraft type | HTV | ||
| Start of mission | |||
| Launch date | 1 December 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 | ||
|
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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.
As of December 2015[update], launch is scheduled for December 1st, 2016.[1]
Spacecraft
Kounotori 6 will test several new technologies. The mission will test thin film solar cells in space.[2]
This HTV flight will also have an experimental electrodynamic tether (EDT), called KITE(Kounotori Integrated Tether Experiment).[3][4] The tether is equipped with a 20 kg end-mass, and will be 700 m long when deployed.[3] A maximum 10 mA current will run through the tether.[3] Kounotori's ISS rendezvous sensor will be utilized to measure how the end-mass moves during the test.[3] The EDT experiment will be conducted following Kounotori 6's departure from the ISS, and is to be held for a week.[3] 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.[4] These two technologies will contribute to gaining capabilities to remove space debris.[4]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.[dead link]
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
External links
- JAXA HTV page
- 宇宙開発最前線！ Vol.6 (PDF) (Japanese)
Images
- Kounotori 6 - JAXA Digital Archives
- HTV-6 & KITE
- HTV-6 & KITE
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