Japan has successfully launched its new cargo transporter HTV-X into space.
An H3 rocket carrying the spacecraft lifted off with a roar at around 9:00 a.m. on Sunday from the Tanegashima Space Center in southwest Japan.
It detached four booster rockets and the first-stage engine while soaring into the sky. It placed the HTV-X into its scheduled orbit about 14 minutes later.
The unmanned craft, developed by Japan, is designed to transport equipment for experiments and other items to the International Space Station.
The HTV-X has replaced the Kounotori, which delivered cargo to the ISS until 2020. The new transporter is capable of carrying 50 percent more cargo than its predecessor.
With an eye on the international lunar exploration project, the Artemis program, the HTV-X is equipped with a solar array paddle to ensure a stable power supply and is able to carry more fuel.
The HTV-X is scheduled to approach the ISS in approximately four days’ time and dock with the space outpost on Thursday. During docking, Japanese astronaut Yui Kimiya, who is staying at the ISS on a long-term mission, will operate a robotic arm and capture the transporter.
AloJapan.com