Japan to launch last ISS resupply mission

Japan is one of three nations with the ability to launch resupply materials to the International Space Station. Japan’s 9th launch is scheduled to take place on May 21, science minister Koichi Hagiuda said Tuesday.

The H-II Transfer Vehicle (HTV spacecraft )Kounotori (こうのとり, Kōnotori was developed, built and launched in Japan.  The HTV spacecraft is an unmanned cargo transfer spacecraft that delivers supplies to the International Space Station (ISS). As part of the international cooperation agreement, Japan provides cargo deliveries to the ISS similar to what SpaceX and  Northrop Grumman does under the Commercial Orbital Transportation Services contracts with NASA.

It will be the last mission for the current version of H-II Transfer Vehicle before it is to be upgraded by 50 percent in its weight and capacity. The improved version of the HTV will be known as the HTV-X spacecraft reconfigures the spacecraft to optimize placement of equipment, improve access to cargo and be a starting point for future spacecraft. JAXA plans to utilize the HTV-X moving forward for the tenth flight and will perform scheduled ISS resupply duties. Currently, the HTV-X is first scheduled for launch on February 2022 assuming that the upgrades go as planned. JAXA has also agreed to provide HTV-X logistic resupply flights to the Gateway space station, as part of its Gateway contribution in addition to co-developing a habitation module with the ESA.

Japan has successfully sent the cargo to the ISS in all eight attempts since 2009 using the H-2B rocket. Beginning in 2021, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. plan to use the next-generation H-3 rocket to send the upgraded HTV-X. The improvement of both the booster and the spacecraft allows for carrying more supplies.

The H-3 rocket will be capable of delivering heavy payloads to far-flung destinations in space such as the NASA Gateway. After Japan agreed to take part in missions to the Moon led by the United States the need for cargo delivery services beyond Low Earth Orbit will be required. The H-3 will allow the Kounotori unmanned cargo transporter to enter a Translunar Injection trajectory to the moon. The delta-V requirements for sending the cargo to the moon are higher than to the ISS. A higher Delta-V to get to the moon means that it necessary to send the HTV-X much farther than its current scope of the ISS. Several US companies are also developing upgraded deep space cargo transportation capabilities.

Scheduled Date of Launch of HTV:	May 21, 2020
Scheduled Time of Launch:	2:30 a.m. (Japan Standard Time, JST)
Reserved Launch Period:	May 22 through June 30, 2020 *2
Location:	Yoshinobu Launch Complex at the JAXA Tanegashima Space Center
Arrival of the KOUNOTORI9 at ISS if launched as scheduled:
	Evening of May 25, 2020 (Japan Standard Time)

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