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Space Environment Utilization
The utilization of the special space environment which can not be duplicated on the earth is called “space environment utilization.” The micro-gravity environment in particular is attracting attention since it assists in the production of materials that have a high degree of homogeneity, quality, and performance. The activities of IHI Aerospace are not limited to only the development of the equipment and systems for extensive range in this field, including providing a means for experiments, preliminary experiments on the ground, integration of the experiment facilities, and operation of space experiments.
International Space Station
International Space Station
The experiment module “Kibo,”
The international space station is a permanent, expandable, multipurpose manned facility (approximately 110 meters in overall length and 75 meters in width) built in earth orbit at an altitude of 400 kilometers through international cooperation among Japan, USA, Russia, and Europe. Operations such as scientific observation, space observation, space communications experiments, and the manufacture of materials and pharmaceuticals will be carried out aboard the international space station. The experiment module “Kibo,” under the charge of Japan, is the first manned facility developed in Japan. In addition to the Kibo’s Exposed Facility and Experiment Logistics Module Exposed Section, IA is developing experiment racks and experimental equipment installed in the pressurized modules, the Exposed Pallet, and the Propulsion Module for the space station H-ⅡTransfer Vehicle (HTV), and the like.
Exposed Facility / Experiment Logistics Module - Exposed section
Exposed Facility
Experiment Logistics
Module - Exposed section
This external experiment platform, directly exposed to space, mounts equipment to observe the Earth’s environment and space, and conducts communication experiments. This pallet mounts equipment for the EF Payloads as well as for Kibo’s exposed systems and is transported to the ISS aboard the Space Shuttle in order to supply equipment to the Exposed Facility (EF). After the experiment on the EF, the equipment is recovered from the facility and re-mounted on the pallet, which will be returned to earth aboard the Space Shuttle.
Micro-particle Capturer (MPAC) and Space Environment Exposure Device (SEED)
These two pieces of equipment are used to acquire data pertaining to the space environment in orbit and to evaluate the degradation effect of parts and materials to the space exposed environment. They were mounted on the Russian Service Module of the space station.
Intervehicular Experiment Rack
Experiment racks supply resources such as electric power, coolant, communication exchange, etc. to a variety of experiment facilities in the experiment module “Kibo.”
Experiment Facilities
Gradient Heating Furnace
Fluid Physics Experiment Facility
IHI Aerospace is developing the solution/protein crystal growth experiment facility, the fluid physics experiment facility and experiment cell, and the gradient heating furnace. They will be installed in the intervehicular laboratory “Kibo” and constitute part of the common experiment facilities for microgravity experiments in orbit.
Unmanned Space Experiment Recovery System (USERS)
Experiment Facilities
re-entry module
(REM)
Ocean Recovery
IHI Aerospace designed and developed a re-entry module (REM) and Super Conductor Gradient Heating Furnace (SGHF) of the Unmanned Space Experiment Recovery System (USERS) for the Institute for Unmanned Space Experiment Free Flyer. The USERS were launched by H-ⅡA-3 in 2002 and the module was recovered successfully in the Pacific Ocean in 2003
MUSES-C Re-entry Module System
Hayabusa's Back to the Earth
Hayabusa and Itokawa
MINERVA;Micro Nano Experimental
RoVer for Asteroid
Re-entry Module
IHI Aerospace is designing and developing a re-entry module for the MUSES-C mission of JAXA which will return surface samples from an asteroid to the earth. It is believed that asteroids retain fairly well a record of the early planet-forming age. Hence, we can obtain the clues to help explain the birth of the solar system. Collecting samples from a solar system body other than the earth has not been attempted since the United States' Apollo missions. This is the fi rst example for asteroids. IHI Aerospace has the technologies of designing and manufacturing heat shields (CFRP), which can withstand the aerodynamic heating during atmospheric re-entry. CFRP is also planned to be applied to the future asteroid investigation modules.
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