The spacecraft “Kounotori” recovery capsule loaded with goods to be brought back was heading towards earth

Recently the NHK News on-line reported the following:

物資持ち帰る回収カプセル搭載の宇宙船「こうのとり」地球へ

2018年11月8日 6時41分

地球に物資を持ち帰る日本初の回収カプセルを搭載した宇宙輸送船「こうのとり」が8日未明、予定どおり国際宇宙ステーションから切り離され地球に向かいました。回収カプセルは今月１１日に大気圏に突入し、太平洋上で回収される予定で、その成否が注目されています。

ことし９月に打ち上げられた日本の宇宙輸送船「こうのとり」の７号機は、宇宙飛行士の食糧などのほかに、地球に物資を持ち帰る日本初の回収カプセルを国際宇宙ステーションに届けました。

宇宙ステーションでは、無重力状態で実験を行って結晶化させた医療研究用のたんぱく質などをアメリカとヨーロッパの宇宙飛行士が慎重に回収カプセルの中に収めて、「こうのとり」７号機の先端に取り付ける作業を行いました。

そして、日本時間の8日午前１時50分すぎに予定どおり地球に向けて「こうのとり」は切り離されました。

ＪＡＸＡ＝宇宙航空研究開発機構などが開発した回収カプセルは底面の直径が80センチ余りの円すいに近い形をしていて、およそ2000度の高温にも耐えられるようにつくられています。

回収カプセルは今月11日に「こうのとり」から分離して大気圏に突入し、小笠原諸島の南鳥島近海に着水する予定で、その後、船で回収されます。

「こうのとり」本体は宇宙ステーションから出た廃棄物などを載せていて、大気圏で燃え尽きる設計になっています。

国際宇宙ステーションから地球に物資を持ち帰る回収カプセルの技術は、現在アメリカとロシアしかもっておらず、将来の有人探査にも応用できることから日本初の回収カプセルの成否が注目されています。

Translation

The space transport ship 'Kounotori' loaded with the Japan's first recovery capsule that would  bring back goods to the earth was separated from the International Space Station at dawn on the 8th as scheduled and it would go back to earth. The recovery capsule would rush into the atmosphere on the 11th this month; it was expected to be collected at the Pacific Ocean and its success or failure had drawn attention.

In September this year the number 7 machine of Japanese space transport ship ' Kounotori' which delivered astronaut's food to International Space Station in addition to bringing Japan's first recovery capsule that would be used to send goods back to the earth.

Astronaut from Europe and the United States put the protein for medical studies, which was made by an experiment using the weightlessness in the space station to turn them crystallize, back into the recovery capsule carefully; and the work to install it into the tip of  "Kounotori" number 7 machine was carried out.

Then at 1:50am on the 8th Japan time "Kounotori", scheduled to bound for the earth, was let loose.

The recovery capsule which was developed by JAXA= Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency and others had a near cone shape at the bottom with a diameter about 80 centimeters; it was made in order to endure approximately 2000 degrees heat.

On the 11th this month “Kounotori” would be separate from the capsule and it was expected to rush into atmosphere making a splashdown at Minami Torishima neighboring seas in Ogasawara-shoto, and after that the recovery capsule would be collected by ship.

"Kounotori” itself was designed to carry the waste generated by a space station and burnt them out at the atmosphere.

At present, only the United States and Russia had the technology of recovery capsule which brought back goods to the earth from International Space Station; but because it could also be applied to future manned exploration, the success or failure of Japan's first recovery capsule had drawn attention.

     So, Japan is participating actively in the International Space Station projects.