International Space Station Kibo

Photo courtesy of Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

Kawasaki was in charge of developing some of the primary systems of the Japanese Experiment Module “Kibo” on the International Space Station, such as the airlock, the Exposed Facility Berthing Mechanism (EFBM), and the air conditioning system. We also developed the Exposed Experiment Handrail Attachment Mechanism (ExHAM) which enables space experiments involving various materials in an exposed environment. These space experiments are underway on the Exposed Facility (EF) of Kibo which is currently in on-orbit operation.

External view of air conditioning system
Airlock equipped with ExHAMk
Outboard (left) and inboard (right) sides of EFBM