Sierra Nevada to Provide Hardware for Japanese HTV-X ISS Missions
HTV-6 cargo ship approaches the International Space Station. (Credit: NASA)
SPARKS, Nev., May 31, 2019 (SNC PR) –Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC), the global aerospace and national security contractor owned by SNC CEO Fatih Ozmen and Chairwoman and President Eren Ozmen, teamed with the Marubun Corporation of Tokyo, Japan and has been awarded a contract to supply critical hardware for Japan’s HTV-X cargo spacecraft.
HTV-X is the advanced version of H-II Transfer Vehicle (HTV). The spacecraft will provide supplies to the Kibō Japanese Experiment Module and the International Space Station for future servicing missions.
The HTV-X spacecraft is developed and operated by the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), with primary sections of the vehicle being manufactured by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) and Mitsubishi Electric Corporation (MELCO).
“SNC is proud to service the space station in any capacity, and our services for the HTV-X vehicle show a great partnership between international and U.S. companies. We are happy to help with any space exploration and science in low-Earth orbit,” said Bryan Helgesen, senior director business development for SNC’s Space Systems business area.
SNC has provided thousands of devices on hundreds of space missions for more than three decades, including more than eight sets of HTV cargo pallet restraint mechanisms, and more than 15 sets of CYGNUS cargo vehicle Passive Common Berthing Mechanisms and External / Visual Ranging Cue systems. For HTV-X, SNC will be able to leverage this extensive flight heritage and once again supply multiple key technologies.
HTV-X Mission Hardware Highlights:
- HTV-X External / Visual Ranging Cue System:
- Navigation lights activated on-orbit and prior to robotic arm deployment to assist in guiding the vehicle safely berth it to the space station.
- Passive Common Berthing Mechanism:
- The PCBM is a mechanical and structural interface required to safely and reliably attach a spacecraft to the space station.
- Hatch Kit:
- Allows astronauts to enter the vehicle and retrieve critical supplies, payloads and experiments.
- Internal lighting system:
- State-of-the-art solid-state lighting technology used to provide efficient mass and power solutions for navigation, crew and astronaut task lighting. This new technology replaces outdated fluorescent tubes.
- Cabin pressure sensor:
- Unique sensor design suitable for the rigors of space flight while maintaining precision accuracy in monitoring atmospheric pressure inside the pressurized spacecraft (or HTV-X Cargo vehicle).
HTV-X exact launch dates are still to be determined.
About Sierra Nevada Corporation
Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC) is a trusted leader in solving the world’s toughest challenges through advanced engineering technologies in Space Systems, Commercial Solutions, and National Security and Defense. Honored in the Top Ten Most Innovative U.S. Companies in Space, SNC’s Space Systems business area designs and manufactures advanced spacecraft and satellite solutions, space habitats and environmental systems, propulsion systems, precision space mechanisms and subsystems, and SNC’s celebrated Dream Chaser® spacecraft. With more than 25 years of space heritage working with the U.S. government, commercial customers, and the international market, SNC has participated in more than 450 successful space missions and delivered 4,000+ systems, subsystems and components around the world. For more information, visit www.sncorp.com.
26 responses to “Sierra Nevada to Provide Hardware for Japanese HTV-X ISS Missions”
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As cool as this generation of ISS crew and cargo haulers have been, I can’t wait to see the next generation. I’d love to see these birds upgraded and adapted to perform their same flights to the Moon.
What you said
These transfer modules and their ‘service modules’ would make wonderful tugs, and Soyuz like orbit modules for the various capsules out there. I was hoping the Boeing and Space X capsules would evolve into a ‘super soyuz’ concept that either carries the orbit module below the capsule or on top, whatever would make encapsulation and crew escape the easiest.
What surprised me was the commercial vehicles listed in NASAs presentation. F9, FH and New Glenn yeah, but the 1200 lb gorilla was there too.
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The gorilla is a real wild card. No matter if the gorilla works or not we need to start conducting deep space operations. We have the hardware to do it now. A working deep space program will only help BF(x) if it becomes operational. If BF(x) becomes operational before deep space operations are started it will not only have to pioneer it’s own new technology base, but it will have to pioneer deep space operations as well.
That seems to have been pretty much Musk’s intention from the get-go. He’s looking for others to share the load and the glory, but he’s prepared to go it solo if need be.
the problem with BF whatever is that it is slowly becoming a PR stunt covering hardware and probably software that is being really built at a snails pace (I suspect they dont have the money to go faster)
Aside from struggling to get D2 flying and not blowing up…Musk and the gang have taken over 6 months to build (now two) vehicles which are little more than mobile test stands for an engine which has been in development for 10 years but has little or no flight time
BF(x) is an interesting concept. Liberty ship construction techniques are going to have to be totally demonstrated for me to buy into the concept that they’ll make for real spaceships. Now they’re talking about passenger suborbital flights in the water towers they’re building on the beaches. That’s so insane on so many levels. I don’t think humanity is the kind of animal who’s general population is ready for an aerobatic flight. Let alone the concept that construction techniques and locations that make a MiG-29a look like a wonder of manufacturing techniques is going to carry passengers. If BF(x) makes orbit the first payloads will be something darn near throw away or Space X’s own product.
a good friend who works for the government interfaces with SpaceX on a regular basis (and he/she is responsible for some government payloads). my friend has some interesting viewpoints on Musk…the most notable data point, which is also in the book about him, is that really few people can tell Musk “this is a nutty idea”… partially that is the reality of him having taken a few nutty ideas and made billions I guess of them 🙂
But he has apparantly been unable to control the hubris that comes with success.
the “water towers on the beach” are to me nothing but moveable engine stands…and while there may be “some” data points to be gained by seeing how they respond to large aerodynamic strains its hard for me to believe that what is being constructed now has anything to do with a design that keeps changing monthly
but to me its a fun show to watch and not the least is the fun of watching the spaceX fan boys go wild here and at other places.
what happens when SpaceCadets never grow up 🙂
You and your government employee friend both seem to imagine you are smarter than Elon Musk, but that it is Musk who suffers from “the hubris that comes with success.” Riiiiight.
Musk has had a lot of successes in life dating to well before SpaceX was even a gleam in his eye. A more rational and less hubristic person might suppose that has earned Mr. Musk some slack where additional “nutty ideas” are concerned. And there are plenty of us out here who see things that way.
That you are not among them is no bad reflection on either Mr. Musk or ourselves. As Robert Heinlein once wrote, “Isn’t it remarkable how much “mature wisdom” just resembles being too tired?”
Well, at least you got that last part right. When the first Starship prototype goes to orbit it will much more likely than not be carrying a load of Starlink birds.
Apparently De Nile is also a river that runs through Turkey.
It’s a real pity USAF has no air superiority fighter that can even approach changing directions as quickly as RGO. We’ve been lectured forever about how recklessly fast SpaceX does everything. Now, suddenly, they’re moving “at a snail’s pace.” Similarly, SHS was going to take 10 years or more because it was just started the day before yesterday, but now the Raptor has been in development for “10 years.” I think we should change your radio call sign to “Whiplash.”
the “stars” in the infrastructure game suprisingly to me is really OSC. they have taken their delivery system Cygnus and worked pretty hard to expand its “potential” they have done microgravity free flyer, station reboost and have some other exciting “technology stuff” coming.
I see your points with OSC’s and friend and myself chat over their products on a regular basis.
I really dont believe most of the assumptions that this “presentation” makes…they are like most federal government presentations…slanted toward the desired result
lets try one…. “However for subsequent missions, the GAteway approach ….”
it all depends on what assumptions turn out to be accurate
the Gateway, even the really small gateway cost a lot to build…and then its use assumes things which are no where near fact
1. a reusable of some sort lander. no such animal in any form (except on paper) exist.
even in a reduced “form” where say the propulsive descent stage is expended (or repurposed on teh surface) and the only “reused” part is the ascent stage/crew vehicle
nothing like it exist or is proven
2. the gateway can transfer fuel. assuming we are talking cryos here well the US has done nothing like this (this is also a flaw in Musk battlestar but moving on) …
3. lunar resources…despite Bob Zubrins’ optimism we are at least half a decade after the first landing in making a semi operational lunar extraction system. we have never tried the technology even on a small scale, we have no operational systems working in the lunar (gritty) environment…
we dont even have a location to try and put the station at…
4. the Administrations “planned” landing is slowly descoping to yet another effort at flags and footprints or a Vanity lets say America is great again.
the physics dont matter much when one simply has no idea how one is going to do what one is hoping to do
They have worked hard to become a true aerospace company and it shows…
Yeah. Lots of good metal hardware bits. None of that icky software stuff.
The ones to thank for this is not just the hard working ppl of SNC, but the 2 main dreamers from Space Dev/SNC/Jim Bensen and then Mark Sirangelo. These 2 men pushed DC hard. Hopefully, Mark comes back now that he that quit NASA.
https://www.sncorp.com/pres… ’15 when this was released. 30,000lb thrust. Different fuels. They must be going to put several of these engines for abort on DC. You know to save the cargo, which might be people. NASA must be worried about Dragon2. Make a good backup for CST-100. Still working on the crew version they say. Pad abort to Shuttle runway. Amos survived for 10 sec. Plenty of time to abort. Debris would not reach runway. If destruct in air and debris on runway, I guess go to nearest suitable runway. Titusville? I landed my Ercoupe next door at Rockledge. Not long enough I don’t think for DC. Maybe Japan will use DC.
what year is you’re Coupe? Mine is a 46….my daughters is a 50 and we have the parts for another one in the hanger 🙂
How long does it take to get used to not having rudder pedals? If you took away my rudder pedals, it’d feel like you cut off my hands. I’ve got the heebee-geebees just imagining it.
not very long 🙂 but then again I was already flying jets when I got mine (in my twenties) and you land jets in a crosswind like you lank the coupe. in the triple seven you dont even need the peddles in an engine out 🙂
mine is mostly for fun now but at one point in my life…it was used for some serious commutting.
Mine had a rudder pedals conversion kit. Steering with the yoke was interesting.
’46. 75HP 100 mph cruise. Great airplane. I put about 75 solo hours into it. I sold it for more than I paid for it around ’80. Check the center wing spar. Mine had corroded a big hole. I told the guy that bought it about it, but he took it and flew off to Arkansas. I was getting ready to junk it.
that is how I got my parts Coupe…the one that if I ever retire I might convert to a retractable…the center spar had some issues…there is an AD that addresses the water (and brake fluid) leaking into the center spar…it has to be done correctly (and you have to keep the windows in tip top shape particularly if they are the slide up and down ones)
I found it when I was in PHX with Boeing doing some avionics work and would for “fun” go airport looking. it was at Sedona just sitting outside rotting…the wings were gone (cotton) and I got it for about 800 dollars. it took me another 1000 to get it to Texas and the farm…but its there now and the corrosion in the spar has been “fixed” so no further deterorating
My ride has an O200 in it and a few “mods” to decrease the cabin wind noise as well as my own STC wheel pants. I got rid of the center tank and added two outboard wing tanks to make up for it.
it will cruise at about 120 now…on not much gas.
the big deal now is recovering the Cub…been in the family since 1936 …Cotton is probably where I am going to keep it original. the only nonn original thing in it is a mode C transponder…otherwise I use a hand held radio and GPS 🙂
Great. It would have been too much work for me. I was crawling under the airplane and found it. I had never checked before. It was already sold. My partner and I told the guy that bought it. He took it anyway. He could have said no and we would have given his money back. I guess I could have complained to the FAA and they could have stopped him. I had just recovered and painted the airplane. Had not noticed it when I sprayed. Poking it showed it up. I later found it in Trade-A-Plane. He was asking 2x what he paid us. Said it was hangared. I used my part of the money to build and fly a BobCat wood-foam ultralight for 75 hrs or so. Did a flat turn and the tail started shaking bad. I thought I had had it. I looked back at the tail an it looked ok. Flew back to the airport and there was no damage. Like the Forked Tail Devil the open windows caused turbulent to form and hit the tail. I kept flying it until I had a power reduction so bad that I had to land on a pasture. 400 acres or so. I got out and checked and the engine seemed normal. It started right up and had full rpm. So I took off for home. I went pasture to pasture and made it. Dumb probably, but recovery with a trailer would have been difficult. I retired it. Fun more or less.