Date of use: July 21, 2012
Manufacturer: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries
Spacecraft/Launch Systems: H-IIB Launch Vehicle
Materials: aluminum.
Dimensions: 4 x 1.6 x 0.7 cm, aprox
Program: H-IIB
Flown Status: flown.
Description: Piece of fairing that from H-IIB rocket that protected the HTV3 cargo transfer vehicle during the launch.
The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) launched the H-IIB Launch Vehicle No.3 (H-IIB F3) with the KOUNOTORI3 (HTV3, a cargo transfer vehicle to the International Space Station) onboard at 11:06:18 a.m. on July 21 (Sat.) 2012 (Japan Standard Time, JST) from the Tanegashima Space Center.
The KOUNOTORI is an unmanned cargo transporter to be launched by the H-IIB launch vehicle. It is designed to deliver up to six tons of supplies including food, clothes, and experiment devices to the ISS in orbit at an altitude of about 400 kilometers and return with spent equipment, used clothing, and other waste material.
The KOUNOTORI with waste material is incinerated when it makes a re-entry into the atmosphere. This transport operation involves a rendezvous with and docking to the ISS, in a situation requiring a highly reliable transfer vehicle.
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