Japan has sent its unmanned supplies vessel through the H-IIB rocket which blasted off on July 21, 2012 to the International Space Station. The rocket was lifted off in to an overcast sky from the southern island of Tanegashima at 11:06 am.
The live images of the event was relayed by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency. 15 minutes later the rocket successfully released a cargo vessel called the ‘konotori’ containing supplies like food, clothing, tools which are necessary for experiments to be done in space.
The cargo is expected to reach the International Space Station where the Japanese astronaut Akhiko Hoshide in staying on July 27, 2012. Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, which is Japan’s leading aerospace firm and also helped in developing the rocket is expected to take over future operationsof the H-IIB and send four more cargo vehicles to the International Space Station 2016.
Keiji Tachikawa the JAXA president, after the successful launch said that the rocket should also be used to explore the potentially lucrative satellite launch market. Tachikawa said, “By expanding the scope of its use, (the H-IIB) I hope, will be used to respond to various demands of clients”. The Japanese astronaut Akihiko Hoshide is staying on the space station, where the supplies is expected to reach on July 27, 2012.
