When the space shuttle Discovery (STS-133) visited the International Space Station (ISS), the Japanese robotic space freighter KOUNOTORI2 was already up there, and the station crew moved it to an alternate location. Discovery left for earth, and the crew moved the freighter back to the original port to continue working. When the earthquake struck Japan, the Japanese space program’s ground control station at Tsukuba was evacuated due to power failure and shortages of fuel and water. Photos indicate some interior damage, but there are no reports of injuries. The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) has passed control of the space station’s Kibo module to NASA ground facilities in Houston and Huntsville. The unmanned Japanese supply ship remains at the ISS and scheduled work with it has been postponed.
Image by Mike Licht. Download a copy here. Creative Commons license; credit Mike Licht, NotionsCapital.com
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Tags: earthquake, International Space Station, ISS, Japan, JAXA, JEM, Kibo, KOUNOTORI2, NASA, outer space, space, space station, TKSC, Tsukuba, Tsukuba Flight Control Center, Tsukuba Space Center
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