Society | May 27

Kounotori on its last mission docks at ISS

Japan's cargo spacecraft Kounotori 9, the last of the Kounotori transporter series, has successfully docked at the International Space Station.

The unmanned craft launched from the Tanegashima Space Center in Kagoshima Prefecture, southwestern Japan, on May 21.

After nearing the station in orbit at an altitude of around 400 kilometers, Kounotori 9 was caught by a robotic arm operated by an astronaut shortly after 9 p.m. on Monday, Japan Time. The craft was successfully berthed to the ISS early on Tuesday.

It is loaded with about 6.2 tons of cargo including food for astronauts and batteries.

Kounotori started operating in 2009. All nine of the series have successfully docked with the ISS and delivered a total of some 50 tons of supplies.

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, or JAXA, has been developing Kounotori's successor, the HTV-X. It is expected to launch before April 2022.

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