The H-II Transfer Vehicle (HTV), also known as Kounotori ("White stork"), is an automated cargo spacecraft from JAXA designed specifically to resupply the Japanese Kibo lab complex of the International Space Station while also ferrying up supplies to the rest of the U.S. segment of the Station.

Kounotori/HTV is the only craft that can bring common sets of interfaces for ISS science experiments to the Station one of only two vehicles capable of delivering large, external payloads to the Station.

It can deliver between 6,000 and 6,200 kg (13,200 - 13,700 lb) of supplies to the ISS on each mission.

HTV/Kounotori's first mission launched on 10 September 2009, and it will be replaced with an upgraded HTV-X vehicle beginning in 2021.

The H-IIB rocket is an expenable medium-lift vehicle built by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries for the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA).

With a price tag of $112 million (USD) per launch, H-IIB was developed specifically to launch the HTV/Kounotori resupply craft to the International Space Station.

It is a two-stage rocket utilizing a liquid fuel core augmented by 4 side-mounted solid rocket boosters and a liquid fuel upper stage.

Stats
Height: 56.6 m (186 ft)
Diameter: 5.2 m (17 ft)
Mass: 531,000 kg (1,171,000 lb)
Capability: 19,000 kg (42,000 lb) to Low Earth Orbit

First Stage
Boosters
Height: 15 m (49 ft)
Diameter: 2.5 m (8.2 ft)
Thrust (total): 9,220 kN (2,070,000 lbf)
Burn Time: 114 seconds
Fuel: Hydroxyl-terminated polybutadiene

Core Stage
Height: 38 m (125 ft)
Diameter: 5.2 m (17 ft)
Engines: 2 x LE-7A
Thrust (total): 2,196 kN (494,000 lbf)
Burn Time: 352 secondsFuel: Liquid Oxygen and Liquid Hydrogen

Second Stage
Height: 11 m (36 ft)
Diameter: 4.0 m (13.1 ft)
Engines: 1 x LE-5B
Thrust: 137 kN (31,000 lbf)
Burn Time: 499 seconds
Fuel: Liquid Oxygen & Liquid Hydrogen

(Image: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries)

LA-Y2

Launch Area - Yoshinobu Launch Complex 2 (LA-Y2 for short) is part of a two-launch-pad area of the Tanegashima Space Center used for the H-II family of rockets.

The pad is located just 190 meters (624 ft) from neighboring pad LA-Y1 and has been used -- to date -- exclusively for the H-IIB rocket for automated HTV resupply missions to the International Space Station.

The overall two-pad Yoshinobu Launch Complex is the northernmost launch site of the Tanegashima Space Center.

Rockets are assembled and processed vertically in the vehicle assembly building before technicians roll them out to the launch pad, a 30-minute journey of 365 meters.

LA-Y2 hosted its first launch in September 2009 and has been active ever since.

Tanegashima Space Center

The Tanegashima Space Center is Japan's largest launch center and gets its name from the island "Tanegashima" it is located on.

Located in southern Japan, it is part of the overall Range, which handles Japan’s orbital launches.

The center opened for operations in October 1969 as part of the National Space Development Agency of Japan (NASDA). It is now owned by JAXA.

Tanegashima includes the Yoshinobu Launch Complex for the H-IIA and H-IIB rockets, a Vehicle Assembly Building, a Spacecraft Test and Assembly Building, and the Takesaki Range Control Center.

Image: Wikipedia