On May 25, the Kounotori 9 (HTV9), which carries supplies to the International Space Station (ISS), filmed itself approaching the ISS with a self-equipped camera and transmitted the video to ISS in real-time using wireless LAN (WLAN). This was the world’s first successful WLAN transmission between two spacecraft (Wireless LAN Demonstration: WLD), and simultaneously a successful systems experiment for technology that will be needed in future for automated docking.

MEISEI Electric Co., Ltd. (MEISEI) developed the “PM surface mission assy” that filmed the video, comprising the camera head, controller and power supply device, as well as the “ULC hole mission assy” that sent the video, comprising the data processing device, WLAN transponder and antenna. MEISEI also developed the camera installed on the Multi-Purpose Experiment Platform (MPEP), which filmed the approaching HTV9 from the ISS perspective, and a High Definition TV Camera Exposed Facility 2 (HDTV-EF2) installed on the IVA-replaceable Small Exposed Experiment Platform (i-SEEP).

MEISEI will continue to promote research and development for more successful missions in the future.