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Comprehensive Support Services for Space Experiments
To meet users’ expectation, UED commits itself to supporting users for the entire life cycle of space experiments. As there are various constraints, which do not exist on the ground, that impede successful implementation of experiments and/or activities in space environments, UED initiates close communication with users upon selection of experiment themes to resolve various technical issues as early as possible. After the experiment theme is finalized, UED provides flight crew training and conducts dry runs. When the space experiment takes place on Kibo, UED supports from the ground through remote control and monitoring of experiment equipment.
As Kibo has entered the normal operation phase, long-term space experiments have become feasible in tranquil environments. As a result, experiments started producing high quality data.
Services
- User Integration
- Through close coordination with users, UED facilitates a process to finalize experiment plans and ensures that requested experiments are compatible with experiment equipment and the space environment by ground testing and analysis. UED represents the users throughout the experiment life-cycle.
- Space Experiment Preparations
- UED starts preparation for experiments after experiment plans are finalized through user integration. UED provides flight crew with experiment operation training by instructors, simulations by flight controllers and rehearsals, develops experiment operating procedures, supplies samples and other goods.
- Implementation of Space Experiments
- UED provides flight controllers who communicate with flight crew to facilitate experiment implementation, monitor experiment status and execute remote controls for experiments, monitor experiment data and respond to contingencies.
- International Coordination
- Utilization of Kibo is allowed only within allocated resources of sample weight, electric power consumption, communication data volume, crew time, among other resources. To ensure necessary resources, UED initiates coordination with international partners a few years prior to experiment implementation.
- Location
- Tsukuba Office：Urban Square Tsuchiura Bldg., 1-1-26, Kawaguchi, Tsuchiura-shi, Ibaraki 300-0033, Japan
