23 Jul, 2012
Successful Launch of "KOUNOTORI 3" !
At 11:06 am on July 21, 2012 (Saturday), the “KOUNOTORI 3” (HTV3, a cargo transfer vehicle to the ISS) was successfully launched by H-ⅡB Launch Vehicle No.3.
Thereafter, it will be berthed at the ISS on July 27, 2012 and the mission instruments carried by the “KOUNOTORI 3” will be transferred. They include Meisei Electric-make Cubesat “WE WISH” to be released by Astronaut Hoshide in September, and also Aquatic Habitat (AQH) we have developed and manufactured.
The MCE (Multi-mission Consolidated Equipment), which was carried together and will be installed on the exposed facility of the ISS, include Meisei Electric-make IMAP (Ionosphere, Mesosphere, Upper Atmosphere and Plasmasphere Mapping), GLIMS (Global Lightning and Sprite Measurement Mission), HDTV (High Vision Definition TV), GPS receiver and QCM (Quartz Cristal Microbalance) as well.
Meisei Electric was also in charge of development and manufacturing for H-ⅡB onboard camera and PCE (Picture Compressor Equipment) inclusive of measurement of weather conditions such as temperature and wind velocity in the upper atmosphere of Tanegashima Space Center at the time of the launch.
