Watch the Launch

Kounotori 3 (HTV-3)

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 3


In-active Cargo Unmanned Payload Capacity: 6000 kg
Destination: International Space Station
Serial Number: HTV-3

Kounotori 3, also known as HTV-3, is the third Japanese H-II Transfer Vehicle. It was launched on 21 July 2012 to resupply the International Space Station (ISS) aboard the H-IIB Launch Vehicle No. 3 (H-IIB F3) manufactured by MHI and JAXA. Kounotori 3 arrived at the ISS on 27 July 2012, and Expedition 32 Flight Engineer and JAXA astronaut Akihiko Hoshide used the International Space Station's Canadarm2 robotic arm to install Kounotori 3, to its docking port on the Earth-facing side of the Harmony module at 14:34 GMT.

H-II Transfer Vehicle (HTV) Details

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries

(MHI)

President: Seiji Izumisawa Founded: 1884 Successes: 55 Failures: 2 Pending: 8

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.

INFO WIKI

Tanegashima Space Center, Japan

Yoshinobu Launch Complex LP-2


Soyuz 2.1a
Success
1 hour, 33 minutes ago
Soyuz MS-29
31/6 - Baikonur Cosmodrome, Republic of Kazakhstan

Soyuz MS-29 will carry three cosmonauts and one astronaut to the International Space Station aboard the Soyuz spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome…


Falcon 9
Success
7 hours, 10 minutes ago
Starlink Group 10-45
Space Launch Complex 40 - Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA

A batch of 29 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.


Falcon 9
Success
14 hours, 52 minutes ago
Starlink Group 15-14
Space Launch Complex 4E - Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA

A batch of 27 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.


Falcon 9
Success
3 days, 13 hours ago
Starlink Group 17-48
Space Launch Complex 4E - Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA

A batch of 24 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.


Long March 10B
Success
4 days, 12 hours ago
Demo Flight
Commercial LC-2 - Wenchang Space Launch Site, People's Republic of China

First launch of the Long March 10B rocket and first ever successful rocket booster recovery of a Chinese launch vehicle. Payloads on board is TBD.


Falcon 9
Success
5 days, 6 hours ago
Starlink Group 10-42
Space Launch Complex 40 - Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA

A batch of 29 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.


Falcon 9
Success
1 week ago
Transporter 17 (Dedicated SSO Rideshare)
Space Launch Complex 4E - Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA

Dedicated rideshare flight to a sun-synchronous orbit with dozens of small microsatellites and nanosatellites for commercial and government customers.


Long March 8A
Success
1 week, 2 days ago
SpaceSail Polar Group #14
Commercial LC-1 - Wenchang Space Launch Site, People's Republic of China

20 Low Earth Orbit communication satellites with Ku, Q and V band payloads for the G60 constellation operated by Shanghai Spacesail Technologies with…


Falcon 9
Success
1 week, 2 days ago
Starlink Group 10-50
Space Launch Complex 40 - Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA

A batch of 29 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system. The Falcon 9 1st st…


Long March 6A
Success
1 week, 3 days ago
SpaceSail Polar Group #13
Launch Complex 9A - Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China

18 Low Earth Orbit communication satellites with Ku, Q and V band payloads for the G60 constellation operated by Shanghai Spacesail Technologies with…