Experiment

JAXA Education Payload Observation "Message in a Bottle" was performed again

JAXA Education Payload Observation (EPO) "Message in a Bottle"* was performed again aboard the International Space Station (ISS)^※.

*Project Proposer: Shiro Matsui, Professor, Kyoto City University of Arts.

"Message in a Bottle" is an art project aiming at inspiring people on the ground to feel messages from space, such as the activities performed by astronauts in outer space, relationship between people and space, and a message from space to our descendant, by bringing back the space-filled bottle to Earth.

A glass bottle specially created for this project was carried to the ISS aboard KOUNOTORI3, and on Friday, September 21, 2012, astronaut Hoshide attached it to the Multi-Purpose Experiment Platform on the Pressurized Module of the Japanese Experiment Module, Kibo. Then, past midnight on Thursday, October 4, MPEP was pushed out from the Kibo's Airlock and then carried to space by the Kibo's Remote Manipulator System (JEMRMS) to take in the space vacuum.

Later, the bottle had been stored in the Kibo's Airlock. On Friday, January 25, 2013, astronaut Marshburn retrieved the sealed bottle.

The glass bottle containing space vacuum is scheduled to return to Earth aboard the Dragon spacecraft (SpX-2, scheduled to launch on March 1, 2013, U.S. EST time) At a later date, the bottle and some art creation using images etc. obtained during the performance will be shown to the public.

※The mission was conducted once in the Japanese Fiscal Year of 2010. The space vacuum was obtained by an EVA crew member at the time. However, the bottle was found broken on its way to Tsukuba Space Center (TKSC). This is the retry after taking measures to prevent a recurrence.

Astronaut Marshburn retrieved the bottle from the Kibo's airlock and signed "250113" on the bottle, concluding the "Message in a Bottle" retry. Not only astronaut but many NASA and JAXA staff members have special feelings to this bottle. I want to make use of the bottle to promote people in space to evoke the sense of wonder.

alt="Prof. Matsui monitors the proceeding from the User Operations Area at the Tsukuba Space Center (TKSC). " />

Prof. Matsui monitors the proceeding from the User Operations Area at the Tsukuba Space Center (TKSC).

*All times are Japan Standard Time (JST)