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Kounotori 2 (HTV-2)

Overview

Destination: Low Earth Orbit
Mission: Resupply

Low Earth Orbit Yoshinobu Launch Complex LP-2 Tanegashima Space Center, Japan

Uncrewed cargo resupply mission to International Space Station.

H-IIB

Family:
Configuration: 304

H-IIB (H2B) is an expendable launch system used to launch H-II Transfer Vehicles (HTV, or Kounotori) towards the International Space Station. H-IIB rockets are liquid-fuelled with solid-fuel strap-on boosters and are launched from the Tanegashima Space Center in Japan. Mitsubishi and JAXA have been primarily responsible for design, manufacture, and operation of H-IIB.

Specifications

Max Stage
2
Length
56.6 m
Diameter
5.2 m
Fairing Diameter
―
Launch Mass
551.0 T
Thrust
9000.0 kN

Family

Name
H-IIB
Family
―
Variant
304
Alias
―
Full Name
H-IIB 304

Payload Capacity

Launch Cost
$112500000
Low Earth Orbit
16500.0 kg
Geostationary Transfer Orbit
8000.0 kg
Direct Geostationary
―
Sun-Synchronous Capacity
―

Kounotori 2

In-active Cargo Unmanned Payload Capacity: 6000 kg

Destination: International Space Station

Serial Number: HTV-2

Kounotori 2 , also known as HTV-2, was launched in January 2011 and was the second Japanese H-II Transfer Vehicle to resupply the International Space Station (ISS). It was launched by the H-IIB Launch Vehicle No. 2 (H-IIB F2) manufactured by MHI and JAXA. After the supplies were unloaded, Kounotori 2 was loaded with waste material from ISS, including used experiment equipment and used clothes. Kounotori 2 was then unberthed and separated from the ISS and burned up upon reentering the atmosphere on 30 March 2011.

H-II Transfer Vehicle (HTV) Details

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries

(MHI)

President: Seiji Izumisawa Founded: 1884 Successes: 54 Failures: 1 Pending: 11

Agency Type:

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. is a Japanese multinational engineering, electrical equipment and electronics company headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. MHI is one of the core companies of the Mitsubishi Group. MHI's products include aerospace components, air conditioners, aircraft, automotive components, forklift trucks, hydraulic equipment, machine tools, missiles, power generation equipment, printing machines, ships and space launch vehicles. Through its defense-related activities, it is the world's 23rd-largest defense contractor measured by 2011 defense revenues and the largest based in Japan.

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