Japan has successfully launched a rocket that is carrying an unmanned cargo spaceship loaded with supplies for the International Space Station.
The H-2B rocket carrying the Kounotori6 cargo transporter blasted off from the Tanegashima Space Center in Kagoshima Prefecture in southwestern Japan at 10:26 p.m. JST on December 9th. The spaceship is expected to dock with the space station on Tuesday, according to the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA).
The cargo spaceship is carrying 5.9 tons of supplies that include food, drinking water and other daily necessities for astronauts on board the ISS, seven ultra-small satellites developed by universities and firms, and Japanese-made lithium-ion batteries for use on the space station.
The launch of the Kounotori6 was delayed from the originally scheduled October 1st launch due to a leak in its piping.