Japan launches spacecraft to deliver supplies to the ISS Station

In the early morning of September 25, Japan launched an unmanned spacecraft to the International Space Station (ISS), after having to postpone plans planned earlier this month due to a fire incident at the Tanegashima Space Center.

At 1:05 am (local time), the H-2B boosters of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, which carried the supply ship Kounotori 8 of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, left the launch pad at the Space Center. Tanegashima in Kagoshima Prefecture, southwestern Japan. It is expected that after 15 minutes off the launch pad, this rocket will fly into the intended trajectory.

H-2B boosters carrying Kounotori 8 unmanned spacecraft leave the launch pad at Tanegashima Space Center in Kagoshima Prefecture, southwest Japan on September 25, 2019.(Photo: Kyodo / TTXVN)

The Kounotori 8 resupply transports about 5.3 tons of supplies to the astronauts on the ISS, including food, water, batteries and many other essential equipment for the tests. The ship is expected to reach the ISS Station on September 28.

Earlier, Mitsubishi Corporation had to cancel the plan to launch the supply ship Kounotori 8 on 11/9 last day after finding a fire at the launch pad at Tanegashima Space Center.

A well-informed source said that the accumulation of liquid oxidation was too high - used for cooling the rocket engine - was identified as the cause of ignition only about 3 hours before the scheduled launch time.

Mitsubishi moved the plan to launch Kounotori8 to the ISS Station on September 24, but once again had to postpone it until September 25 to deviate from the scheduled launch of Russia's Soyuz spacecraft.

The postponement of the two-week plan mentioned above does not affect the activities on the ISS because the station stores enough food in case of such situations.

1. Fire in space center, Japan canceled launch on ISS