NASA buys Japanese cargo ships

The Yomiuri, Japan, said that NASA has begun negotiations on buying Japanese unmanned cargo spacecraft to supply goods to the International Space Station. .

The newspaper also revealed the following information:

This is the biggest negotiation in Japan's 50-year history of space development.

Japan's H-2 Transfer Vehicle (HTV) worth 14 billion yen (131 million USD) is being developed by the Japan Space Exploration Agency (JAXA) and domestic companies, including the Company Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Mitsubishi Electric Corporation.

Image of the H-2 Transfer Vehicle spacecraft (HTV) of the Japan Space Exploration Agency.( www.spacedev.com )

This US move comes from the situation that NASA is worried that when US shuttles stop working in 2010, it will be difficult for the US to provide water, food and scientific research materials to Tram Vu. International pillar.

Last April, NASA began a project to help US companies develop a spaceship to continue the shuttle's work, but they were unsure whether to deploy the vessel in two years. The rest is not, and this has prompted NASA to discuss buying foreign space ships.

Japan's HTV spacecraft is capable of transporting up to 6 tons of cargo and will be operational by next fall. This spacecraft will be shipped at a rate of one per year.

Although not accessible to JAXA's comments, the Yomiuri cited the space agency's statement that it has begun discussing the issue informally with NASA since February this year.