Japan Resets Next ISS Mission Launch Date to December 9

Japan’s HTV-4 mission in 2012. Photo: NASA

[Via Satellite 10-07-2016] Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) have pushed back the sixth H-2 Transfer Vehicle (HTV-6) cargo mission to the International Space Station (ISS) to Dec. 9, Japan Standard Time (JST), after discovering a leak in the vehicle back in August. The company and space agency team discovered the leak during an air tightness test as part of preparations for a previously anticipated Oct. 1, launch. At the time, MHI and JAXA said they would “disband the HTV-6 module and take necessary measures,” to fix the leak.

HTV-6, also known as Kounotori 6, is slated to launch aboard an H2B rocket from the Yoshinobu Launch Complex at Tanegashima Space Center, Japan. In addition to supplies for the ISS crew, the unmanned HTV vessels have also been used to bring small satellites and related equipment to the station. The previous mission, HTV-5, delivered the NanoRacks External Payload Platform (NREP), a self-funded commercial platform for access to the outer space environment, which has since been attached to the Japanese Kibo module.