Asian Surveying & Mapping
Breaking News
HAL to build, market Isro’s SSLV in landmark deal
New Delhi, Jun 20: In a historic move for...
Taiwan developing space capabilities for all-weather imaging
TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Taiwan is advancing its space...
Honda hails successful test of reusable rocket as it looks to get into the space business
Tokyo — Japan's second-biggest carmaker, Honda, has successfully tested...
China’s space program provides larger platform for broader international cooperation
BEIJING -- Experts from China's manned space program said...
India To Launch $1.5 Billion Joint Earth Mission With NASA In July
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the Indian...
Axiom-4 mission delayed again: ISRO confirms Subhanshu Shukla’s ISS spaceflight won’t launch before 22 June 2025
The Axiom-4 mission to the International Space Station has...
Mengzhou spacecraft for China’s moon-landing mission passes landmark test flight
China has completed the inaugural test flight of its...
Space application for ITMA Asia + CITME 2026 opens
Shanghai – Space application for the 2026 edition of...
Yanmar, Chia Tai and XAG Empower Thai Agriculture through Innovation
Bang Nam Priao District, Chachoengsao Province, Thailand – On...
bitsensing Signs MOU with IKIO Technologies to Advance AI-Based Traffic Monitoring on India’s Expressways, Highways and Municipal Areas
Backed by proven success in South Korea and Europe,...

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) announced that its H-II Transfer Vehicle KOUNOTORI6 (HTV6), after completion of deorbit maneuver, reentered Earth according to schedule on Feb. 5, 2017. KOUNOTORI6 berthed to the International Space Station (ISS) on Dec. 13, 2016, and remained docked for the following 45 days. While berthed with the ISS, KOUNOTORI6 transferred all of its pressurized and unpressurized cargo supplies and components essential for the ISS operation. KOUNOTORI6 then was reloaded with waste from the ISS. Its atmospheric reentry brought the KOUNOTORI6 mission to completion, its sixth consecutive mission success.

KOUNOTORI6, with augmented cargo capabilities, delivered six Japanese-made lithium-ion battery cells to the ISS. The battery cells have already been installed and are working. Successive KOUNOTORI launch vehicles—its seventh, eighth and ninth—will deliver to the ISS all the other batteries of the same type for future replacement. These batteries provide ISS electrical power, which supports the basis of the most-important resource for ISS operations.

KOUNOTORI6 also transferred the double-capacity JEM Small Satellite Orbital Deployer (J-SSOD), which discharged seven microsatellites that domestic and foreign universities and institutions developed.

“There’s an increasing demand for deploying small satellites,” said Naoki Okumura, president, JAXA. “I am convinced that the successful deployment facilitates further international cooperation and joint research.”

Although KOUNOTOI6 departed from the ISS and re-entered Earth’s atmosphere, some scheduled KOUNOTORI Integrated Tether Experiments (KITE) were not carried out. Through KITE, JAXA seeks to verify electrodynamic tether technology to remove space debris.

“We could not unroll KITE’s tether due to deployment system failure,” noted Okumura. “However, the process was confirmed in which electricity was conducted from an electron emitter. Ongoing are detailed analysis on KITE results, which are expected to establish an efficient system to help remove space debris.

“I would like to express my gratitude for the support and the contribution by the domestic and international organizations and Japanese citizens,” said Okumura.

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) announced that its H-II Transfer Vehicle KOUNOTORI6 (HTV6), after completion of deorbit maneuver, reentered Earth according to schedule on Feb. 5, 2017.