Kibō (ISS module)

The Japanese Experiment Module (JEM), nicknamed Kibō (きぼう, Kibō, Hope), is a Japanese science module for the International Space Station (ISS) developed by JAXA. It is the largest single ISS module, and is attached to the Harmony module. The first two pieces of the module were launched on Space Shuttle missions STS-123 and STS-124. The third and final components were launched on STS-127.^[1]

Pressurized Module (PM)

Exposed Facility (EF)

Experiment Logistics Module (ELM) Pressurized Section (ELM-PS)

Experiment Logistics Module (ELM) Exposed Section (ELM-ES)

Japanese Experiment Module remote manipulator system (JEMRMS)

Inter-orbit communication system (ICS)

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Pressurized module

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Experiment logistics module - Pressurized Section

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Kibō is the largest single ISS module:

The module and all its integrated accessories were manufactured at the Tsukuba Space Center in Japan. It is made from stainless steel, titanium, and aluminum.

– X-ray astronomy from 0.5 to 30 keV.^[27] Exposed Facility Slot 1.

MAXI

STP Houston 8 Payload-COWVR and TEMPEST Launched on SpaceX CRS-24 in 2021. Exposed Facility Slot 2 port originally held CREAM which was moved to Slot 13 on the roof and stowed in hibernation.

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– Laser communication payload. Exposed Facility Slot 3 port originally held SMILES and OCO 3. ^[29]

ILLUMA-T

– Monitoring of carbon dioxide in the Earth's atmosphere using a flight spare from OCO-2.^[30] Relocated to Exposed Facility Slot 4 from Slot 3 port originally held NREP.

OCO-3

NREP – Nanoracks External Platform. NREP-2 is the current mission on this pallet. Payload is stowed waiting for NREP 3 then it will be transferred to Slot 12.

i-SEEP – IVA-replaceable Small Exposed Experiment Platform (JAXA). Mounted to Exposed Facility Slot 5. It is a platform to support small-to-medium (less than 200 kg) payloads. Experiments on the i-SEEP platform are HDTV-EF2 (since 2017), GPSR/Wheel,^[32] SOLISS (since 2019 removed in 2023 and stowed), and SeCRETS .^[33]

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– Global Ecosystem Dynamics Investigation on ISS. Exposed Facility Slot 6 in hibernation until STP-H8 is removed and MOLI is installed. Port originally held ICS-EF and temporary held CREAM until it was relocated to Slot 13 on the roof of the Logistics Module and placed in hibernation.

GEDI

– Cosmic Ray Energetics and Mass Experiment. Launched on SpaceX CRS-12 in 2017. Initially at Exposed Facility Slot 2. Moved to Slot 7 in 2021^[34] and back to Slot 2 in 2023 to make room for STP Houston 9. Logistics Module Slot 13 in hibernation until STP-H9 is removed then it will go back to Slot 2.

CREAM

HISUI – Hyperspectral Imager Suite () replacement for HREP which ended its mission in 2017.^[35] Exposed Facility Slot 8 port originally held MCE.

METI

– CALorimetric Electron Telescope (JAXA), observation for high energy cosmic rays. Launched aboard Kounotori 5 (HTV-5).^[36] Mass: 2500 kg.^[37] Exposed Facility Slot 9 port originally held SEDA-AP.

CALET

ExHAM 1 and 2 – External Facility Handrail Attach Mechanism (JAXA). Mounted to the deck on handrails in the forward and aft locations next to slots 7 and 10.

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– Ecosystem Spaceborne Thermal Radiometer Experiment on Space Station.^[39] Exposed Facility Slot 10 port originally held the ELM-ES and the HTV Transfer Pallet.

ECOSTRESS

STP-H9-SWELL (Space Wireless Energy Laser Link), A test payload for a follow on to OPALS,Electric Propulsion Electrostatic Analyzer, A test device that will demonstrate re-boost using Ion Propulsion, Neutron Radiation Detection Instrument from NRL, Variable Voltage Ion Protection Experiment from NRL, ECLIPSE (Experiment for Characterizing the Lower Ionosphere and Production of Sporadic-E), Glowbug, cosmic ray detector built in conjunction with NASA, an experiment that will study cosmic rays for two years, SpaceCube Edge Node Intelligent Collaboration, an experiment built by NASA Goddard that will study microchips and artificial intelligence exposed to the vacuum of space, and SOHIP, a hyperspectral imager built by Livermore Labs that will study the atmosphere for two years. Exposed Facility Slot 7 port originally held HREP and GEDI which was relocated to Slot 7 and placed in hibernation.^[40]

Laser Communications

i-SEEP2 - IVA-replaceable Small Exposed Experiment Platform 2 Exposed Facility Slot 11.

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Pressurized Module

Experiment Logistics Module-Pressurized Section

Exposed Facility

Experiment Logistics Module-Exposed Section

Remote Manipulator System

Scientific research on the ISS

(NRCSD)

Nanoracks CubeSat Deployer

Japanese Space Station Module (Mitsui)

at JAXA.jp