August 28, 2009

John Yembrick Headquarters, Washington 202-358-1100 john yembrick-1@nasa gov

Kelly Humphries Johnson Space Center, Houston 281-483-5111 kelly o humphries@nasa gov

MEDIA ADVISORY: M09-164

NASA SETS BRIEFING, TV COVERAGE OF JAPAN'S FIRST CARGO SPACECRAFT

HOUSTON -- NASA will hold a news briefing at 12:30 p m CDT on Wednesday, Sept 2, to preview the maiden launch and flight of Japan's unpiloted H-II Transfer Vehicle (HTV) cargo spacecraft to the International Space Station

NASA Television will broadcast the briefing live from NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston Participants in the briefing will include officials from NASA and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) NASA TV also will broadcast live HTV's launch and flight

The HTV is scheduled to lift off on an H-IIB rocket from JAXA's Tanegashima Space Center in southern Japan at approximately noon Sept 10 (about 2 a m Sept 11 Japan time) NASA TV coverage of the launch will begin at 11:45 a m The HTV will augment the European Space Agency's Automated Transportation Vehicles and the Russian Progress ships that deliver supplies to the space station

NASA conducted an HTV readiness review on Aug 27 The HTV was formally approved for flight and rendezvous The launch window will be open from Sept 10-30 In the event of a launch postponement after the H-IIB rocket is fueled, a 72-hour turnaround will be required before the next launch attempt

As the 165-ton cargo craft makes its week-long journey to the space station, flight controllers in Tsukuba, Japan, and at Mission Control in Houston will conduct a number of tests of HTV's rendezvous and navigation systems

NASA TV coverage of the cargo craft's arrival at the station will begin at 2 p m Sept 17 As the HTV moves within about 40 feet of the orbiting laboratory, space station crew members will capture the craft using the station's Canadarm2 robotic arm The crew then will attach the HTV to an Earth-facing docking port on the station's Harmony connecting module The robotic maneuvers are set to begin at about 2:50 p m Sept 17

The HTV will remain attached to the station for about six weeks while supplies are transferred In addition to interior supplies and equipment, two new experiments carried on the exterior of the HTV will be moved to the Japanese Kibo module's external experiment porch using a combination of maneuvers with the station's Canadarm2 and Kibo's robotic arm

For NASA TV downlink information, schedules and streaming video, visit:

http://www nasa gov/ntv

For more information about the space station, visit:

http://www nasa gov/station

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