Development Status of Centrifuge Rotor

The Centrifuge Rotor (CR), scheduled to be launched in 2003, provides an artificial gravitational environment for biological specimens housed in habitats on the International Space Station (ISS). The resource supply and video/data exchange with habitats during rotation and the suppression of disturbance forces to both the ISS microgravity racks and CR internal habitats are very challenging key technologies. This paper presents the CR development status and CR system outline including system requirements, configuration and the development plan to develop the key technologies.