ISS Gets Resupply Ship from Japan; Russia and Europe Soon To Follow
Japan’s HTV2 cargo spacecraft successfully berthed to the International Space Station (ISS) today. HTV2 was launched on January 22 and is named Kounotori2 or “white stork.” The ISS crew used the station’s robotic arm to berth HTV2 to the Earth-facing port of the Harmony module, according to NASA’s ISS website. They plan to open it tomorrow.
It is the first of three cargo spacecraft from different parts of the world to resupply ISS in the next couple of weeks. Next is a Russian Progress cargo spacecraft that is awaiting launch tonight at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. It is scheduled to launch at 8:31 pm EST this evening and dock with the ISS on Saturday.
Europe’s cargo spacecraft, the ATV, is scheduled for launch on February 15.
NASA has a good website explaining the similarities and differences of these cargo spacecraft.
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