Japan Launches Next-Generation HTV-X Cargo Spacecraft to the International Space Station

Japan has successfully launched its new HTV-X cargo spacecraft on its first mission to the International Space Station (ISS), marking a major milestone in the nation’s space transportation program.

The robotic HTV-X, developed by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and built by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, lifted off aboard an H3 rocket from Japan’s Tanegashima Space Center on Saturday (Oct. 25) at 8 p.m. EDT (0000 GMT; 9 a.m. Japan time on Oct. 26). The advanced spacecraft is scheduled to arrive at the ISS for capture and berthing on Wednesday (Oct. 29) around 11:50 a.m. EDT (1550 GMT).

A Successor to Japan’s Trusted HTV “Kounotori”

The HTV-X succeeds JAXA’s reliable H-II Transfer Vehicle (HTV), also known as Kounotori — Japanese for “White Stork” — which successfully completed nine ISS resupply missions between 2009 and 2020.

Measuring 26.2 feet (8 meters) in length, the HTV-X is about 4 feet (1.2 meters) shorter than its predecessor but can carry up to 13,200 pounds (6,000 kilograms) of cargo to low Earth orbit, maintaining similar payload capacity with improved efficiency.

According to Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, the HTV-X enhances transportation performance and offers extended mission capabilities, including the ability to support on-orbit experiments and technology demonstrations for up to 1.5 years after leaving the ISS before reentry.

Expanding Beyond the ISS

JAXA also sees the HTV-X as a key platform for future space exploration. The agency plans to use the vehicle to support post-ISS human spaceflight missions in low Earth orbit and potentially deliver cargo to NASA’s planned Gateway station in lunar orbit — a central component of the Artemis program.

Strengthening Global ISS Logistics

With the debut of the HTV-X, the fleet of active ISS cargo spacecraft grows by one-third. Other operational freighters include Russia’s Progress, and Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus and SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft from the United States.

Of these, only Dragon is reusable, while HTV-X, Progress, and Cygnus are designed to burn up in Earth’s atmosphere at the end of their missions.