Once we reported on Japan’s plans to trace the re-entry means of its Kounotori 2 spacecraft with a black-box-style recorder, there have been still some unanswered questions: specifically, would the REBR (Re-entry Breakup Recorder) sink or swim. Well, in step with a statement from the device’s creator, the item not just survived the fiery plunge to Earth, however it also stayed afloat after plunking down within the South Pacific Ocean on Tuesday. During free fall, the REBR did because it was expected, automatically monitoring, recording, and finally transmitting data in regards to the re-entry process, and while the object was admittedly “not designed to outlive impact with the water,” it continued relaying information even after landing. The following scheduled REBR mission is planned for June — here’s hoping the hot guy’s as buoyant as its buddy. Full PR after the break.
First REBR Reentry a SuccessEL SEGUNDO, March 30 — The 1st Reentry Breakup Recorder (REBR), an instrument designed and constructed by engineers on the Aerospace Corporation, successfully recorded data because it plunged during the atmosphere on Tuesday night aboard the disintegrating Japanese HTV-2 spacecraft.
The REBR then “phoned home” the info via the Iridium satellite system because it fell into the South Pacific Ocean Tuesday evening.
“It performed beautifully,” said Dr. Bill Ailor, director of Aerospace’s Center for Orbital and Reentry Debris Studies and REBR development team leader. “The info we’ve gathered is completely unique and could shed new light at the phenomenon of ways satellites and launch stages break apart on reentry.”
Even though it was not designed to outlive impact with the water, the REBR did in general remain intact and continued to transmit data for hours because it bobbed within the ocean between Chile and New Zealand. Analysis of the information will take six to 8 weeks.
The REBR is a small autonomous device that’s designed to record temperature, acceleration, rotation rate, and other data as a spacecraft reenters Earth’s atmosphere.
The Aerospace Corporation designed REBR to gather data during atmospheric reentries of space hardware on the way to help understand breakup and increase the protection of such reentries. The REBR project was supported by the U.S. Air Force, NASA, and the Boeing Company. The primary flight test of the small, autonomous device was coordinated by the dept of Defense’s Space Test Program.
A second REBR will reenter the ambience aboard the ecu ATV2 vehicle in early June.
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