TOKYO — A Japanese rocket carrying supplies for the international space station lifted off from a remote island Saturday on a mission designed to help fill a hole left by the retirement of NASA’s space-shuttle program.
The unmanned rocket — Japan’s second flight to space station Alpha — was ferrying nearly 6 tons of food, water, clothing and experimental equipment to the astronauts in orbit aboard the international project involving 15 nations. The rocket also carried cargo for NASA.
Kounotori2 is expected to reach the space station Thursday. After docking with the space station, dropping off its cargo and being loaded up with waste material, the rocket’s transfer vehicle will be detached and burn itself up upon re-entering Earth’s atmosphere.
JAXA, Japan’s space agency, hopes the project will help it build expertise for similar low-cost ferrying missions and push forward manned flights of Japan’s own. The Associated Press; photo: Kyodo News
