H-II Transfer Vehicle KOUNOTORI (HTV)

KOUNOTORI2 Returns to Original Berthing Port

KOUNOTORI2 being unberthed from Harmony's zenith port (Photo Credit: JAXA/NASA)

With the space shuttle Discovery (STS-133) completed its docked mission at the International Space Station (ISS), the crew aboard the ISS performed relocation of the KOUNOTORI2 from March 10 through March 11, to return the KOUNOTORI2 to its original berthing port, the nadir port of Harmony.

The KOUNOTORI2, which was temporarily relocated to the Harmony's zenith port during Discovery's visit, was grappled by the station's robotic arm (Space Station Remote Manipulator System: SSRMS), and the relocation operation began at 8:49 p.m. on March 10.

The KOUNOTORI2 was moved to the Harmony's bottom side and attached to the Common Berthing Mechanism (CBM) at the nadir port of Harmony at 1:19 a.m. and the CBM bolts were fastened at 2:20 a.m. on March 11.

The relocation was completed at 3:55 a.m. on March 11 when the ISS crew completed the vestibule outfitting, including connections of the electrical cables/lines between the KOUNOTORI's Pressurized Logistics Module (PLC) and Harmony.

*All times are Japan Standard Time (JST. UTC + 9 hours)