An unmanned H-2B rocket blasted off from Tanegashima island in southern Japan on Friday to send a cargo ship to the International Space Station, a NASA TV broadcast showed.
The delivery of about 4.5 tons (4,100 kg) of supplies for the six-member station crew took on fresh urgency after a botched Russian cargo run on December 1 and additional delays returning NASA contractor SpaceX to flight following an unrelated accident.
The rocket, carrying Japan’s HTV-6 cargo ship, blasted off at 8:26 a.m. EST (1326 GMT), flying over the Pacific Ocean on its way to space. The capsule is due to reach the station, a $100 billion laboratory flying about 250 miles (400 km) above Earth, on Tuesday.
In addition to food and supplies, the capsule is delivering six lithium-ion batteries and adapter plates, weighing about 3,000 pounds (1,360 kg), which are needed for a planned upgrade of the station’s electrical system. The batteries will be installed during upcoming space-walks, said NASA launch commentator Dan Huot.
Japan’s HTV capsules are one of four supply ships that fly to the station, a project of 15 nations. However, two of the four freighters are currently grounded following accidents.
A Russian Soyuz rocket failed to put a Progress capsule into orbit on December 1 due to a problem with the booster's third-stage engine. The capsule burned up as it fell back into Earth's atmosphere, with debris crashing to the ground.
Tech billionaire Elon Musk's SpaceX is recovering from a launch pad explosion on September 1 that destroyed a Falcon 9 rocket and a $200 million Israeli communications satellite. SpaceX now expects to return to flight in January.
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