The International Space Station (ISS) now has 4 spacecraft parked in the docks. These include the Russian Progress 74 and 75 ships, the Soyuz MS-16 crew ship, and the newly installed HTV-9 resupply ship from JAXA. However, the successful installation of the Japanese cargo was all thanks to NASA and Houston Space Center.
The autonomous aircraft was successfully installed at the ISS’s Harmony module at 10:46 A.M. EDT. The space cargo will remain on the station for almost 2 months. The entire operation was led by NASA Expedition 63 Commander Chris Cassidy and Roscosmos Flight Engineer Ivan Vagner. Even though the spacecraft weighs around 12-ton, the Canadarm 2 robot easily grabbed the station’s cupola.
🚀 After a five-day journey, @JAXA_en’s cargo spacecraft arrived at the @Space_Station today and was successfully installed at 10:46am ET while the station was flying 267 statute miles over the South Pacific Ocean. Learn about the cargo on board: https://t.co/CCfcA3tA6X. pic.twitter.com/jqg85BG3Hn
— NASA (@NASA) May 25, 2020
NASA helps install Space Cargo in Harmony Module
The 12-ton spacecraft has a cargo load of almost 4-tons. The cargo holds a new live streaming educational tool, microscope, and even a powerful telescope. However these are not the only tools aboard the JAXA aircraft. The unpiloted Transport Vehicle H-II-9 (HTV-9) also contains the space probe from Asteroid Ryugu. The docking at the International Space Station will mean more time to determine analytical results about the space rock.
NASA helped cover the entire expedition and provided a live video feed for people watching from Earth.
📡 We’re broadcasting LIVE from mission control and space!
Watch robotics flight controllers at @NASA_Johnson work to install @JAXA_en’s cargo spacecraft to the Earth-facing port of the @Space_Station's Harmony module: https://t.co/Mta5t1iW1d
— NASA (@NASA) May 25, 2020
The unique microgravity laboratory has been the house to almost 2,800 research in the last 20 years.
The science delivered today will add to the over 2,800 @ISS_Research experiments conducted on @Space_Station over the last 20 years. Thank you and congratulations to @JAXA_en! https://t.co/PRzlqTHokx
— Jim Bridenstine (@JimBridenstine) May 25, 2020
Researchers from almost 108 countries have visited the space station to conduct research. The latest installation of the Japanese cargo spacecraft will prove helpful for the nation’s further research developments. Let us know what you think about such space explorations in the comments section below!