TANEGASHIMA, Kagoshima (Jiji Press)--The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency successfully launched an H-2B rocket carrying a “Kounotori” cargo transporter, which will travel to the International Space Station, early Sunday morning.About 15 minutes after the launch from the Tanegashima Space Center in Kagoshima Prefecture at 4:48 a.m., the Kounotori 4 transport vehicle went into orbit. It is scheduled to arrive at the ISS at an altitude of about 400 kilometers Friday night and dock in the early morning hours of Saturday.
After the cargo is transferrred to the space station, the transporter will be loaded with waste and separated around Sept. 5 to be burned up in the atmosphere over the South Pacific.
Production and sales of the JAXA-developed H-2B, Japan’s biggest rocket, have been transferred to Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. Those of the smaller H-2A rocket were transferred to the company in 2007.Yoichi Kujirai, chief of aerospace operations at MHI, said at a news conference at the center that there have been 20 consecutive successful launches of the H-2A and H-2B.
After the cargo is transferrred to the space station, the transporter will be loaded with waste and separated around Sept. 5 to be burned up in the atmosphere over the South Pacific.
Production and sales of the JAXA-developed H-2B, Japan’s biggest rocket, have been transferred to Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. Those of the smaller H-2A rocket were transferred to the company in 2007.Yoichi Kujirai, chief of aerospace operations at MHI, said at a news conference at the center that there have been 20 consecutive successful launches of the H-2A and H-2B.
As a result of moves to launch two satellites together to reduce costs, MHI will have greater capacity to meet such demand with the H-2B, he said, adding that the company will work together with the government to encourage other Asian nations and Middle Eastern countries to use its rockets.
The Kounotori 4 carries about 5.4 tons of goods, including power and communications equipment, U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration experiments, Japanese and U.S. microsatellites, and food and drinking water for astronauts.Astronaut Koichi Wakata will stay in the ISS for six months from November to serve as the first Japanese commander there.
The mission of the rocket H-2B is the fourth carrying supplies to the ISS, after those of September 2009, by January 2011 and July 2012.
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