Kibo-ABC Member Countries' News: Asian Try Zero-G 2018 by JAXA astronaut Norishige Kanai is scheduled on February 13th

Asian Try Zero-G 2018 on-orbit experiment is scheduled on February 13th, starting from 16:45 (JST). Some of the proposers are planning to visit JAXA Tsukuba Space Center to observe the real-time experiments performed by astronaut Norishige Kanai.

As a part of Asian Try Zero-G preparation, JAXA developed the procedure called ODF or Operations Data File for astronaut Kanai. The ODF writers examined the original proposals and adopted to 'reality' under microgravity. Then the flight controller team confirmed the procedure line by line to find inconsistencies and/or unfeasible steps in the procedure. They decided the order of experiments to be most efficient way. They also decided to stop air circulation inside Kibo module to reduce the effect of air flow on the experiment.

Confirmation of ODF by Kibo Flight Controllers (Credit: JAXA)

On Jan 10th to Jan 24th, JAXA explained to the proposes how their original procedures were modified to adopt the experiments under microgravity. The proposes from Vietnam, Thailand, Philippines were attended.

JAXA also prepared the summary of the experiments so that astronaut Kanai can understand the big picture of the event, which contains the principals of the experiments as well as notes and constraints.

The Kibo Flight controller team who will take shifts on the real-time operation got together on Feb 8th to understand the procedure and confirmed line by line. They call this activity 'Walk Through', which is a common step of real-time ops preparation by the Kibo Flight controllers.

Everyone involved in this project is looking forward to the day astronaut Kanai performs the on-orbit experiment on February 13th.