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Image Processing Unit (IPU)
10.24.08
Scientists and payload developers can get more information on International Space Station research facilities by contacting the ISS Payloads Office or at 281-244-6187.

Overview | Description | Applications | Operations | Results | Publications | Images

Facility/Payload Overview

Brief Facility Summary

The Image Processing Unit (IPU) is a Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) subrack facility which will receive experiment image data, record and then downlink the data for experiment processing. IPU is housed in the Ryutai (fluid) Experiment Rack, along with the Fluid Physics Experiment Facility (FPEF), Solution Crystallization Observation Facility (SCOF), and Protein Crystallization Research Facility (PCRF).

Facility Manager(s)

  • Nakamura Tai, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Tsukuba-shi, Japan

    • Co-Facility Manager(s)

    Information Pending

    Facility Developer

    Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Tsukuba-shi, Japan

    Sponsoring Agency

    Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)

    Expeditions Assigned

    |17|

    Previous ISS Missions

    Information Pending

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    Facility/Payload Description

    Facility Summary

    • Image Processing Unit (IPU) is a Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) subrack facility which will be used to record and downlink images of experiments in microgravity in the Japanese Experiment Module (JEM), Kibo, on board the International Space Station (ISS).


    • IPU is located within the Ryutai (fluid) Experiment Rack with the Fluid Physics Experiment Facility (FPEF), Solution Crystallization Observation Facility (SCOF), and Protein Crystallization Research Facility (PCRF) subrack facilities.

    Description

    The Image Processing Unit (IPU) is a Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) subrack facility, located in the Ryutai (fluid) Rack, which will collect experiment data from various sources, compress the data, and transfer it to Earth for processing.

    The IPU is housed in Ryutai, a JAXA multipurpose payload rack system that transports, stores and supports experiments and subrack facilities aboard the International Space Station (ISS) along with the following JAXA subrack facilities:

    • Fluid Physics Experiment Facility (FPEF) investigates fluid physics phenomena in microgravity.

    • Solution Crystallization Observation Facility (SCOF) is equipped with several microscopes to simultaneously measure changes in morphology and growth conditions (temperature and concentration) of crystals.

    • Protein Crystallization Research Facility (PCRF) controls peltier elements (acts as a heat pump) which provide temperature profiles suitable for target proteins.
    IPU is scheduled for launch inside the Ryutai to the ISS on STS-123/1J/A. The IPU may be controlled by the ISS crew or remotely by the Rack Operator on-duty at the User Operations Area in the Space Station Integration and Promotion Center. Linked by computer to the payload aboard ISS, the Rack Operator routinely checks payload integrity and the proper working conditions of ISS research payloads. On the ground, the IPU-G Operator, also located in the User Operations Area with the Rack Officer, operates the IPU-G which is used to decode downlinked high rate data from the IPU, and then distribute to the investigators.

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    Operations

    Facility Operations

    Ryutai, containing the IPU and other subrack facilities will be transported to the ISS in the Japanese Experiment Module (JEM) Experiment Logistics Module (ELM) aboard STS-123/1J/A. Once the Kibo is attached to the ISS, Ryutai will be transferred by the crew to a rack location inside the Kibo. Once the rack is installed and checked out, the rack will be ready for subrack facility operations and will be operated as the science is scheduled. Checkout of IPU is performed following activation of the Ryutai on the ISS.

    The IPU receives image data from various experiment equipment in Kibo, encodes the data, and then transfers the encoded data to the Kibo system lines. The IPU also records experiment image data on hard disc when real-time data downlink is not available. The main functions of the IPU are to have various interfaces with the Kibo systems and experiment equipment, to receive and decode 5 channels of independent video signals simultaneously, and to record video signals on hard disc with five digital VRUs(Video Record Units) continuously (up to 12.5 hours@17Mbps each). The image data is downlinked to the ground via video channels, and distributed to the science investigators for their use.

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    Results/More Information

    Information Pending

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    Availability

  • Developed for ISS

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    Related Web Sites
  • Image Processing Unit

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    Publications

    Results Publications

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      Related Publications

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        Images

        imageImage Processing Unit (IPU), image courtesy of JAXA.
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        Information Provided and Updated by the ISS Program Scientist's Office
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