Japan's HTV Successfully Joins the International Space Station

Japan’s HTV (H-II Transfer Vehicle) is now successfully berthed to the Harmony module of the International Space Station (ISS). Canadarm II, the main ISS robotic arm (built by Canada), grappled onto the HTV at 6:23 pm EDT yesterday. The ISS crew opened the hatch to the HTV at 2:23 pm EDT today and began transferring cargo into the ISS. Other experiments that need to be exposed to space are in an unpressurized part of the HTV that is accessible externally. They will be moved to Japan’s Exposed Facility — the “back porch” of its Kibo laboratory — by the ISS robotic arm and another arm that is on Kibo.