Flight Events – International Space Station 2013

Here is the current calendar of flight events for 2013 for International Space Station as listed on the Forum at NASASpaceFlight on 21 November 2012:

2013

• Complete
• Upcoming
• January 17 – ISS orbit’s reboost by Progress M-17M engines
• February 6 – ISS orbit’s reboost by Progress M-17M engines
• February 10 – Progress M-16M undocking (from Pirs)
• February 11 – Progress M-18M launch
• February 11 – Progress M-18M docking (to Pirs)
• March 1 – Dragon (SpX-2) launch
• March 3 – Dragon (SpX-2) capture and berthing (to Harmony nadir) by SSRMS
• March 15 – Soyuz TMA-06M undocking (from Poisk) and landing [Novitskiy, Tarelkin, Ford]
• March 28 – Soyuz TMA-08M launch [Vinogradov, Misurkin, Cassidy] and docking (to Poisk)
• April 2 – Dragon (SpX-2) unberthing (from Harmony nadir) and releasing by SSRMS
• April – spacewalk (ISS Russian EVA-32) from Pirs airlock [Vinogradov, Romanenko]
• April 15 – Progress M-17M undocking (from Zvezda)
• April 18 – ATV-4 “Albert Einstein” launch
• April 23 – Progress M-18M undocking (from Pirs)
• April 24 – Progress M-19M launch
• April 26 – Progress M-19M docking (to Pirs)
• May 1 – ATV-4 “Albert Einstein” docking (to Zvezda)
• May 14 – Soyuz TMA-07M undocking (from Rassvet) and landing [Romanenko, Hadfield, Marshburn]
• May 28 – Soyuz TMA-09M launch [Yurchikhin, Parmitano, Nyberg]
• May 30 – Soyuz TMA-09M docking (to Rassvet)
• June – spacewalk (ISS Russian EVA-33) from Pirs airlock [Yurchikhin, Misurkin]
• July 23 – Progress M-19M undocking (from Pirs)
• July 24 – Progress M-20M launch
• July 26 – Progress M-20M docking (to Pirs)
• August 4 – HTV-4 “Kounotori-4” launch
• August 9 – HTV-4 “Kounotori-4” capture and berthing (to Harmony nadir) by SSRMS
• August – spacewalk (ISS Russian EVA-34) from Pirs airlock [Yurchikhin, Misurkin]
• August – spacewalk (ISS Russian EVA-35) from Pirs airlock [Yurchikhin, Misurkin]
• September 6 – HTV-4 “Kounotori-4” unberthing (from Harmony nadir) and release by SSRMS
• September 11 – Soyuz TMA-08M undocking (from Poisk) and landing [Vinogradov, Misurkin, Cassidy]
• September 25 – Soyuz TMA-10M launch [Kotov, Ryazanskiy, Hopkins] and docking (to Poisk)
• October – spacewalk (ISS Russian EVA-36) from Pirs airlock [Yurchikhin, Ryazanskiy]
• October 15 – ATV-4 “Albert Einstein” undocking (from Zvezda)
• October 16 – Progress M-21M launch
• October 18 – Progress M-21M docking (to Zvezda)
• November 10 – Soyuz TMA-09M undocking (from Rassvet) and landing [Yurchikhin, Parmitano, Nyberg]
• November 25 – Soyuz TMA-11M launch [Tyurin, Wakata, Mastracchio]
• November 27 – Soyuz TMA-11M docking (to Rassvet)
• December – spacewalk (ISS Russian EVA-37) from Pirs airlock [Tyurin, Ryazanskiy]
• December 11 (TBD) – MLM launch (or 2014)
• December 18 – Progress M-20M with Pirs module undocking (from Zvezda nadir)
• December 20 (TBD) – MLM docking (to Zvezda nadir) (or 2014)

2014

• January – spacewalk (ISS Russian EVA-38) from Poisk airlock [Tyurin, Ryazanskiy]
• January – spacewalk (ISS Russian EVA-39) from Poisk airlock [Tyurin, Ryazanskiy]
• January – spacewalk (ISS U.S. EVA-21) from Quest airlock
• January – spacewalk (ISS U.S. EVA-22) from Quest airlock
• February 5 – Progress M-22M launch
• February 7 – Progress M-22M docking (to MLM nadir)
• March 12 – Soyuz TMA-10M undocking (from Poisk) and landing [Kotov, Ryazanskiy, Hopkins]
• March 25 – Progress M-22M undocking (from MLM nadir)
• March 26 – Soyuz TMA-12M launch [Skvortsov, Artemyev, Swanson]
• March 28 – Soyuz TMA-12M docking (to MLM nadir)

Updated 1 January 2013

Flight Events 2012

Launch Schedule – Japan 2013

Here is the current calendar for 2013 for Japan’s satellites and rocket launch vehicles as listed on the Forum at NASASpaceFlight on 15 November 2012:

2013

• Complete
• Upcoming
• January 27 (04:00-06:00 UTC) – H-2A (F-22) – IGS radar-4; IGS Optical-5 demo (Test version)
• TBD – (Dnepr) – WNISAT-1
• TBD – (Dnepr) – HODOYOSHI-1, ChubuSat-1, TSUBAME, QSAT-EOS
• TBD – (Dnepr) – ASNARO (Advanced Satellite with New system Architecture for Observation)
• NET July 15 – H-2B – HTV4 (Kounotori)
• Aug.-Sep – Epsilon – SPRINT-A / EXCEED
• December- H-2A – ALOS-2 (SAR); Piggyback (SPROUT; RISING-2; UNIFORM-1; SOCRATES)

2014

• June- H-2A – GPM/DPR STARS-II, optical communications test satellite, TeikyoSat-3, KSAT II, OPUSAT, INVADAR, ITF-1
• Aug – H-2A – Astro-H
• ?? – (Cyclone-4) – Nano-JASMINE
• ?? – H-2B – HTV5 (Kounotori)
• ?? – H-2A – IGS Optical-5 (Improved Optical)
• ?? – H-2A – IGS Radar-Spare
• Summer – H-2A – Himawari-8
• Dec- H-2A – Hayabusa-2
• NET FY2014 – Epsilon – ASNARO-2

Last updated 1 January 2013

2012 Launches
2011 Launches

HTV-3 Docked to the International Space Station

Japanese HTV-3 Kounitori ready for Capture at the ISS Image Credit: NASA TV The Kounitori-3 (HTV-3) was captured by the ISS robotic arm at 9:23 p.m. on July 27 (Japan Standard Time) and berthed at the ISS at 2:31 a.m. on July 28. The Kounitori-3 was launched by the H-IIB Launch Vehicle No.3 on 21 July. ISS astronauts will take cargo out from the Pressurized and Unpressurized Logistic Carriers into the ISS. The cargo loaded aboard Kounitori-3 includes: 1.1 metric tons of unpressurized cargo for the Kibo Exposed Facility (EF) Multi-mission Consolidated Equipment (MCE) NASA’s Space Communications and Navigation Testbed (SCAN Testbed) 3.5 metric tons of pressurized cargo Aquatic Habitat (AQH) JEM-Small Satellite Orbital Deployer (J-SSOD) and five small satellites (CubeSats) Re-entry Data Recorder (i-Ball), ReEntry Breakup Recorder (REBR) Catalytic Reactor (ORU, a part of water processing system) Kibo’s coolant water circulation pump Food and other daily necessities for the ISS astronauts Japanese HTV-3 Kounitori Prior to Mating with the Harmony Module Image Credit: NASA TV Hatch Open to Kounitori. Ready for Cargo Transfer. Image Credit: NASA TV Additional images of the HTV-3 mission can be found here.

HTV-3 Launch by H-IIB

Japanese H-IIB Rocket on the Pad at Tanegashima Space Center at T-30 Minutes Image Credit: JAXA TV At 6:36 PM Phoenix time (0136 UTC 21 July), we are at T-30 minutes and counting. All systems are go. Weather is showing some lightening in the area but no concern at the moment. Now T-60 seconds. Launch. All systems are nominal. The H-IIB launched into the low clouds. At T+2:10 the boosters have separated. Flight is smooth at 3 minutes into the flight. Fairing separation confirmed. T+5 minutes. 16 minutes into the flight and Kounitori-3 is on her way to the International Space Station (ISS). Docking is expected to occur on 27 July with the Harmony Node.

HTV-3 Resupply Mission to International Space Station

Japanese H-IIB Rocket on the Pad at Tanegashima Space Center Image Credit: JAXA TV At 8:00 AM Japan Standard Time (JST) (1700 UTC), the H-IIB launcher was quietly counting down toward liftoff, currently scheduled for 7:06 PM Phoenix time (0206 UTC 21 July, 11:06 AM JST). You can find updates at the JAXA web site, or follow the launch live on NASA TV, beginning at 6:15 PM Phoenix time. We are now at T-2 Hours until launch. The cargo loaded aboard Kounitori-3 includes: 1.1 metric tons of unpressurized cargo for the Kibo Exposed Facility (EF) Multi-mission Consolidated Equipment (MCE) NASA’s Space Communications and Navigation Testbed (SCAN Testbed) 3.5 metric tons of pressurized cargo Aquatic Habitat (AQH) JEM-Small Satellite Orbital Deployer (J-SSOD) and five small satellites (CubeSats) Re-entry Data Recorder (i-Ball), ReEntry Breakup Recorder (REBR) Catalytic Reactor (ORU, a part of water processing system) Kibo’s coolant water circulation pump Food and other daily necessities for the ISS astronauts

Japan Prepares Kounitori 3 for ISS Resupply Mission

Mission Patch For JAXA HTV-3 Resupply Mission Image Credit: JAXA Japan is expected to launch their third resupply to the International Space Station (ISS), at 7:18 PM Phoenix Time Friday, 20 July (0218 UTC Saturday 21 July). HTV-3 Mating to the H-II Rocket Image Credit: JAXA

Soyuz TMA-05M Launched Toward the International Space Station

Flight Engineer Sunita Williams, Soyuz Commander Yuri Malenchenko and Flight Engineer Aki Hoshide Image Credit: NASA Soyuz TMA-05M launched as planned from the Baikonur Cosmodrome Saturday 14 July at 7:40 PM Phoenix time (0240 UTC 15 July). NASA astronaut Sunita Williams, Japan’s Aki Hoshide and Russian cosmonaut Yuri Malenchenko will join other crew members on the International Space Station (ISS). The Soyuz TMA-05M is expected to dock with the orbiting complex on Tuesday. Japan is expected to launch their third resupply mission at 7:18 PM Phoenix Time Friday, 20 July (0218 UTC Saturday 21 July). Ignition of the Soyuz Rocket with TMA-05M Manned Spacecraft Image Credit: NASA TV Ascent of the Soyuz Rocket Image Credit: NASA TV Crew of TMA-05M Manned Spacecraft on Ascent Image Credit: NASA TV Schedule for the TMA-05M Manned Spacecraft Image Credit: NASA TV

Hubble Space Telescope Sees Ancient Galaxy Cluster and Mysterious Object

Galaxy Cluster IDCS J1426.5+3508 and Mysterious Blue Arc Image Credit: NASA / ESA /University of Florida, Gainsville / University of Missouri-Kansas City / UC Davis In an article in The Astrophysical Journal, astronomers report a massive galaxy cluster 10 Billion light years away, the largest known at that distance, and a bright blue arc (gravitational lense?) perhaps 13 Billion light years away. The astronomers state that for that brightness and distance “…we expect to find no arcs over the entire sky as bright”. The abstract: The galaxy cluster IDCS J1426.5+3508 at z = 1.75 is the most massive galaxy cluster yet discovered at z > 1.4 and the first cluster at this epoch for which the Sunyaev-Zel’Dovich effect has been observed. In this paper, we report on the discovery with Hubble Space Telescope imaging of a giant arc associated with this cluster. The curvature of the arc suggests that the lensing mass is nearly coincident with the brightest cluster galaxy, and the color is consistent with the arc being a star-forming galaxy. We compare the constraint on M 200 based upon strong lensing with Sunyaev-Zel’Dovich results, finding that the two are consistent if the redshift of the arc is z ~ 3. Finally, we explore the cosmological implications of this system, considering the likelihood of the existence of a strongly lensing galaxy cluster at this epoch in a ΛCDM universe. While the existence of the cluster itself can potentially be accommodated if one considers the entire volume covered at this redshift by all current high-redshift cluster surveys, the existence of this strongly lensed galaxy greatly exacerbates the long-standing giant arc problem. For standard ΛCDM structure formation and observed background field galaxy counts this lens system should not exist. Specifically, there should be no giant arcs in the entire sky as bright in F814W as the observed arc for clusters at z ≥ 1.75, and only ~0.3 as bright in F160W as the observed arc. If we relax the redshift constraint to consider all clusters at z ≥ 1.5, the expected number of giant arcs rises to ~15 in F160W, but the number of giant arcs of this brightness in F814W remains zero. These arc statistic results are independent of the mass of IDCS J1426.5+3508. We consider possible explanations for this discrepancy.

Soyuz TMA-03M Undocks and Returns to Earth.

Soyuz TMA-03 Undocking from the Mini Research Module (MRM-1) Image Credit: NASA TV The Russian Soyuz TMA-03M spacecraft undocked from the Mini-Research Module at the International Space Station (ISS) at 9:48 PM Saturday night, while flying above China. This brought Expedition 31 to a close and inaugurated Expedition 32 under the command of Gennady Padalka. The other two crew members on ISS are Russian Sergey Revin, and American Joe Acaba. The deorbit burn occurred at 12:19 AM Phoenix time Sunday. Russian cosmonaut and Soyuz commander Oleg Kononenko, NASA astronaut Don Pettit, and ESA astronaut Andre Kuipers, returned to Earth aboard the Soyuz Descent Module. The landing in Zhezkaghan took place at 1:14 AM Phoenix time (0814 UTC). The remainder of the year is heavily booked with activity: 15 July – launch (with 17 July docking) of the Soyuz TMA-05M/31S spacecraft, carrying three additional members of Expedition 32 – Russian Yuri Malenchenko, American Suni Williams, and Japanese astronaut Aki Hoshide. 21 July – the Japanese H-II Transfer Vehicle-3 (HTV-3) spacecraft will launch to the ISS, for a rendezvous and berthing to the ISS 22 July – the Progress M-15M/47P spacecraft will undock from the Docking Compartment-1 (DC-1) module 24 July – the Progress M-15M/47P spacecraft will perform a re-docking to the ISS to test a new Kurs-NA antenna. 30 July – Progress M-15M will undock for the final time and reenter the atmosphere and burn up. 1 August – Launch of Progress M-16M/48P, which will dock to the ISS just a few hours after launch to test a new fast-rendezvous profile. 6 September – departure of the HTV-3 and burn up on reentry 17 September – departure of Soyuz TMA-04M/30S with Gennady Padalka, Sergey Revin and Joe Acaba, marking the end of Expedition 32 23 September – departure of Europe’s ATV-3 spacecraft 5 October – Launch of the first Dragon flight under the Commercial Resupply Services (CRS) contract – known as SpX-1 7 October – Docking of SpX-1

SpaceX and the Dragon Cargo to the ISS

Interior of Dragon Spacecraft Prior to Launch to ISS Image Credit: NASA NASA has release a series of images of the preparations leading up to the launch of Space Exploration Technologies’ (SpaceX) Dragon spacecraft to the International Space Station (ISS). The launch is scheduled for 30 April from Cape Canaveral and launch complex 40 at 9:22 AM Phoenix time (1622 UTC). The mission is designed to satisfy both the Commercial Orbital Transportation Services program (COTS) level 2 and 3 requirements. Officially, the mission will be successful if it satisfies the COTS 2 requirements. All of us hope that both sets of requirements will be met, and the Dragon will deliver its cargo to the ISS. NASA has released an overview of the Dragon mission along with a review of the objectives for the mission. The Dragon is the only spacecraft with down mass capability other than the crewed Soyuz spacecraft. The Russian Progress, European Space Agency (ESA) ATV and Japanese Space Exploration Agency (JAXA) HTV all burn up upon re-entry. The up mass and down mass manifest for Dragon include: Going up: 117 standard meals. 45 low sodium meals Crew clothing Pantry items Module 9 nano-racks with student experiments Spare cargo bags Laptop, batteries, related supplies “Official flight kit” Going down: “Crew preference items” Hardware from several past experiments Some ISS hardware bits Some EVA-gear sized for previous crew members