KOUNOTORI 3 revealed to the media at TNSC

TANEGASHIMA, Japan. — On June 1 (Fri.), the H-II Transfer Vehicle “KOUNOTORI 3″ (HTV3, a cargo transporter to the International Space Station) was revealed to the media at the Spacecraft and Fairing Assembly Building 2 at the Tanegashima Space Center. The KOUNOTORI 3 will be packed with food and daily necessities for astronauts aboard the ISS, test equipment for aquatic organisms, and other experiment devices including a small satellite, then will be launched by the H-IIB Launch Vehicle No. 3 at 11:18 a.m. on July 21, 2012 (Japan Standard Time.) The KOUNOTORI is currently under preparations for its journey to space.

For full image and caption Click to Enlarge

To date, cargo transport has been carried out by the American Space Shuttle and the Russian Soyuz and Progress. Lately, the ATV (Automated Transfer Vehicle) of the ESA (European Space Agency) was launched, and a Japanese transporter, the H-II Transfer Vehicle “KOUNOTORI” (HTV),is also going to start playing a transportation role.
The KOUNOTORI is an unmanned cargo transporter to be launched by the H-IIB launch vehicle. It is designed to deliver up to six tons of supplies including food, clothes, and experiment devices to the ISS in orbit ...