NASA discussing Japanese purchase of robotic cargo vehicles

William Atkins
Monday, 21 July 2008 19:03

Science - Space

The robotic spacecraft weighs approximately 10.5 tons empty on Earth. It is capable of delivering six tons of cargo to the International Space Station.

Inside, it has two segments. One segment is a pressurized hold with a capacity of about 13,230 pounds (6,000 kilograms). Able to be directly unloaded by astronauts, it is capable of holding eight International Standard Payload Racks.

The second segment is an unpressurized hold that would be indirectly unloaded (remotely) by astronauts inside the Space Station.

The H-2 Transfer Vehicle is intended (by the Japanese) to re-supply the Kibo Japanese Experiment Module (JEM) on the International Space Station. It is scheduled to be operational in 2009. If on schedule, this date will give the Japanese about one year of operational status before the United States retires its space shuttles as part of its old Space Transportation System (STS) program.

Although unable to actually dock to the ISS, like the Russian Progress, the H-2 Transfer Vehicle will approach the Space Station (under proximity operations), where it will be captured by the Canadian robotic arm and berthed onto a port of the ISS.

If this deal between the United States and Japan is completed, it will be the largest space purchase deal for the JAXA. Important financially for the up-and-coming Japanese space agency, it is equally important for the United States to be able to uphold its responsibilities to the member countries building and maintaining the International Space Station.

UPDATE (12:05 p.m. CDT): Please read the iTWire article "UPDATE: NASA has no plans to buy JAXA transfer vehicles" for more recent information on this (supposed) discussion of NASA with JAXA.