Watch the Launch

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: H2B
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 T
  • Thrust
    9000 kN
Family
  • Name
    H-IIB
  • Family
    H2B
  • Variant
    304
  • Alias
  • Full Name
    H-IIB 304
Payload Capacity
  • Launch Cost
    $112500000
  • Low Earth Orbit
    16500 kg
  • Geostationary Transfer Orbit
    8000 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

Circle Image
President: Seiji Izumisawa Founded: 1884 Successes: 49 Failures: 1 Pending: 13

Agency Type: Commercial

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.

INFO WIKI

Tanegashima Space Center, Japan

Yoshinobu Launch Complex LP-2


Electron
Success
1 day, 19 hours ago
Beginning Of The Swarm (ACS3 & NeonSat-1)
Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1B - Onenui Station, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand

NASA's Advanced Composite Solar Sail System (ACS3) is a technology demonstration mission tasked with deploying a composite boom solar sail. NeonSa…


Falcon 9
Success
1 day, 19 hours ago
Starlink Group 6-53
Space Launch Complex 40 - Cape Canaveral, FL, USA

A batch of 23 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.


Long March 2D
Success
4 days, 18 hours ago
Yaogan 42-02
Launch Complex 3 (LC-3/LA-1) - Xichang Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China

The Yaogan 42-02 is a Chinese military “remote sensing” satellite of unknown purposes.


Falcon 9
Success
6 days, 19 hours ago
Starlink Group 6-52
Space Launch Complex 40 - Cape Canaveral, FL, USA

A batch of satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.


Falcon 9
Success
1 week ago
Starlink Group 6-51
Launch Complex 39A - Kennedy Space Center, FL, USA

A batch of 23 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.


Long March 2D
Success
1 week, 3 days ago
SuperView Neo 3-01
Launch Area 4 (SLS-2 / 603) - Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China

Commercial Earth observation satellite built by CAST for China Siwei Survey and Mapping Technology Co. Ltd, with 0.5 m resolution over 9 image wavele…


Falcon 9
Success
1 week, 5 days ago
Starlink Group 6-49
Space Launch Complex 40 - Cape Canaveral, FL, USA

A batch of 23 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.


Falcon 9
Success
2 weeks ago
USSF-62
Space Launch Complex 4E - Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA

First Weather System Follow-on (WSF) satellite. WSF-M (Weather System Follow-on - Microwave) is the next-generation operational environmental sate…


Angara A5/Blok DM-03
Success
2 weeks ago
Vostochny Angara Test Flight
Cosmodrome Site 1A - Vostochny Cosmodrome, Siberia, Russian Federation

First test launch of the Angara A5 launch vehicle from the Vostochny Cosmodrome. The rocket will carry a mass simulator payload.


Falcon 9
Success
2 weeks, 1 day ago
Starlink Group 6-48
Space Launch Complex 40 - Cape Canaveral, FL, USA

A batch of 23 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.