Japan launches New Cargo Craft to Space Station

Technology.am (Sept. 11, 2009) — The Japanese space agency launched a rocket that will carry an unmanned space station cargo ship and deliver 7,400 pounds of equipment to the orbital outpost.

The Japanese H-II Transfer Vehicle (HTV) launched at 1:01 p.m. EDT Thursday from the Tanegashima Space Center in Japan.

The HTV cargo craft, developed by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, or JAXA, as a contribution to the station program, measures some 32 feet long, 14.4 feet wide and weighs some 23,000 pounds when carrying a full 13,200-pound load of cargo. For its maiden flight, the HTV-1 is carrying about 3.5 metric tons of equipment and supplies to the International Space Station and is scheduled to be attached Thursday, Sept. 17, using the station’s robotic arm. Additionally, this was the first flight of the H-IIb rocket, which is a new variant of Japan’s H-IIa vehicle.

Unlike ATV, the Japanese HTV includes a pressurized section accessible by the station crew and an unpressurized cargo bay to carry experiments and hardware.

And unlike ATV, the Japanese ship is designed to autonomously maneuvers to a position just below the station and waits for the lab’s robot arm to deal it.

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