Japan’s robotic arm used for first time on space station
July 24th, 2009 - 7:24 am ICT by IANSWashington, July 24 (DPA) Astronauts on board the International Space Station (ISS) Thursday used a robotic arm to place Japanese experiments outside the station.
Japanese astronaut Koichi Wakata and US astronaut Tim Kopra took three payloads - consisting of experiments and communications equipment - out of a carrier on the Japanese Kibo module and transferred them to the laboratory’s new porch, where they are being exposed to the extreme conditions of space.
It was the first use of the Japanese-built robotic arm outside of training.
The carrier of experiments and the porch were delivered to the ISS by the space shuttle Endeavour and installed earlier in the current mission.
The experiments include an X-ray camera and a device to study cosmic dust, alongside a communication device to send data between the space station and ground crews in Japan.
Endeavour astronauts have completed three of five spacewalks planned for this shuttle mission, with preparations already underway for the fourth manoeuvre scheduled for Friday.
On Wednesday, the spacewalk was cut short due to a problem with carbon dioxide build-up in one of the astronaut’s spacesuits.
- Space shuttle Endeavour headed home (Lead) - Jul 29, 2009
- Space shuttle Endeavour prepares to head home - Jul 29, 2009
- Endeavour returns to Earth after 17-day mission - Jul 31, 2009
- Astronauts install porch on ISS - Jul 19, 2009
- Space shuttle Endeavour successfully returns to Earth - Aug 01, 2009
- NASA's space shuttle Endeavour launches to complete Japanese module - Jul 16, 2009
- Endeavour hit by part of fuel tank insulation (Lead) - Jul 16, 2009
- NASA's space shuttle Endeavour docks with International Space Station - May 19, 2011
- Astronauts install video cameras on ISS porch - Jul 27, 2009
- NASA delays Endeavour launch by 24 hours - Jul 12, 2009
- NASA selects June 13 as lunch date for space shuttle Endeavour - Jun 04, 2009
- Spacesuit trouble shortens spacewalk - Jul 23, 2009
- Shuttle Discovery heads to International Space Station on its final mission - Feb 25, 2011
- NASA's space shuttle Endeavour prepares to leave space station, return to Earth - May 29, 2011
- Spacewalkers replace ISS solar panel batteries - Jul 25, 2009
Tags: communication device, cosmic dust, endeavour astronauts, extreme conditions, ground crews, international space station, japanese astronaut, kibo, kopra, new porch, payloads, robotic arm, shuttle mission, space shuttle endeavour, space station iss, spacesuits, spacewalk, spacewalks, wakata, x ray