The second departure burn is complete to accelerate its movement away from the space station, now at a range of more than 200 feet.

"We could not have hoped for a better mission," said astronaut Mike Fincke from the CAPCOM console in mission control in Houston. "HTV still has a few more days to go, so good luck."

"Congratulations to the entire team and thanks so much," replied Karen Nyberg from the space station. "We got a lot of supplies, hardware and science up from the HTV, and also some fresh fruit. We really appreciate it and best of luck to HTV on her return."

The HTV's first departure burn is complete.

The release occurred as the space station flew over Algeria.

Space station flight engineer Luca Parmitano just reported the HTV has been released and the retreat command has been sent. The robot arm has pulled back away from the HTV.

Mission control reports Karen Nyberg has pulled the trigger to open the robot arm's snares holding on to the HTV grapple fixture.

Mission control has given the crew the "go" for release of the HTV in about 7 minutes.

Once the HTV is out of the grasp of the robotic arm, it will drift down and away from the arm for about five minutes before four planned rocket firings to accelerate its departure.

The first separation burn about 5 minutes after release will change the HTV's velocity by about 0.9 mph. The second separation burn a few minutes later will further adjust the ship's trajectory.

A third burn is set for 12:27 p.m. EDT (1627 GMT) and a fourth maneuver will occur later Wednesday.

All console positions inside mission control in Houston are "go" for release of the HTV. Mission control has radioed the crew the release window opens at 1620 GMT (12:20 p.m. EDT) and closes at 1624 GMT (12:24 p.m. EDT).

Astronaut Karen Nyberg will give the command for the robot arm's snares to release the cargo craft.

With preparatory work ahead of release running a bit behind schedule, officials are now targeting 1620 GMT (12:20 p.m. EDT) for departure of the HTV.

Ground controllers are still maneuvering the HTV into position about 30 feet below the space station. Engineers noticed a slight disparity in the HTV's pitch attitude and are now working to correct it.

The HTV must be released in the daylight portion of the space station's orbit, and this opportunity closes at 1636 GMT (12:36 p.m. EDT). The next release opportunity would be at about 1740 GMT (1:40 p.m. EDT).

Under the control of engineers on the ground in Houston, the space station's robotic arm has removed the HTV cargo ship from its port on the Harmony module and is moving the 33-foot spacecraft to a release position below the complex.

Unberthing from the Harmony module occurred at 8:08 a.m. EDT (1208 GMT), with release set for approximately 12 p.m. EDT.

Japan's fourth H-2 Transfer Vehicle will leave the International Space Station on Wednesday, and the astronauts in charge of releasing the unmanned cargo carrier will use a new technique to keep the HTV steady and avoid the recurrence of a hair-trigger abort that expedited the departure of a previous mission.

Read our full story.

The HTV's external cargo carrier was removed from the Japanese resupply craft Sunday and placed on the unpressurized porch of the space station's Kibo laboratory module, setting the stage for the complex job of moving three payloads using the lab's robot arm and Dextre robotic handyman.

The HTV's cargo pallet holds two spare units for the outpost's electrical system and a U.S. Defense Department research payload. All three boxes will be moved to storage platforms mounted on the space station's truss.

The space station's Canadian-built robotic arm, under the guidance of ground controllers, reached into the HTV's unpressurized cargo bay and removed the craft's exposed pallet Sunday, sliding the tray-like carrier out of the HTV on rails.

Engineers in Houston and Japan then went through a seven-hour procedure to hand off the HTV pallet to a Japanese robot arm and affix the tray to a temporary storage location on the Kibo science module.

In the next few weeks, ground controllers will use the space station's two-armed Dextre robot to remove three payloads from the pallet and move them to more permanent homes on the lab's truss backbone.

The pallet carries a main bus switching unit for the space station's electrical system. The spare unit will be stored until it is needed, in case one of the active switching devices suffers a failure. The main bus switching units distribute electricity from the space station's solar arrays to each of the outpost's systems.

The HTV also delivered a spare utility transfer assembly, which routes power cables from the station's outboard solar arrays. And an experimental payload sponsored by the U.S. military - named Space Test Program-Houston 4, or STP-H4 - will be transferred from the HTV pallet to its operating site outside the space station.

One last task will be moving another box of space research experiments from the station to the HTV's pallet to be discarded when the Japanese cargo freighter burns up in the atmosphere at the end of its mission.

Astronauts opened hatches between the space station's Harmony module and the HTV's pressurized compartment Saturday to begin unloading food, experiments, clothing, water bags and other gear strapped inside the spacecraft.

The HTV carried a total of 3.6 tons of equipment to the space station.

The International Space Station's robotic arm, under the control of astronaut Karen Nyberg, reached out and snared a Japanese resupply ship Friday after the unmanned cargo carrier completed a smooth laser-guided rendezvous with the 450-ton orbiting complex.

Read our full story.

HTV is structurally mated to the International Space Station. The bolts have been fully tightened and the cargo freighter, at 11:38 a.m. EDT, is attached to the station for the unloading of its supplies and equipment. The milestone occurred as the station flew 260 miles above the South Pacific.

The station's arm is going limp to reduce any forces against HTV while the second phase of the bolting occurs.

First-stage capture is reported complete. The station arm is holding HTV while electrically-driven bolts tighten to firmly connect the cargo vessel to the Harmony module.

Mission Control has given the "go" for the astronauts aboard the International Space Station for first-stage capture of HTV into the berthing port.

The four sets of latches are giving "ready-to-latch" indications.

The distance separating the HTV from its docking port on the International Space Station is just 13 cm.

Operated remotely by ground controllers, the station's robotic arm has maneuvered the HTV into close proximity with the berthing port. However, it has taken a bit longer than expected to achieve the final alignment. That is expected in about 25 minutes. At that point, the freighter will be allowed to push onward to the ready-to-latch position against the station.

The crew has completed an inspection of the berthing mechanism before the HTV is move into the install position for attachment to the space station.

Berthing of the HTV to the space station's Harmony module will begin after 1300 GMT (9 a.m. EDT). The robot arm, under the command of ground controllers, will guide the HTV into position on Harmony.

Capture of the HTV cargo freighter was confirmed at 1122 GMT (7:22 a.m. EDT) as the space station was traveling 260 miles above Earth on a ground track south of the coast South Africa.

"Houston, station," radioed astronaut Karen Nyberg. "Capture is complete. I'd like to say congratulations to the entire JAXA team and everybody else around the world who has successfully gotten the fourth HTV to the International Space Station."

Nyberg was at the controls of the space station's 58-foot robot arm for the grapple of the HTV.

"Karen, and the rest of the Expedition 36 crew, congratulations," replied veteran astronaut Mike Fincke inside mission control in Houston. "Tsukuba (mission control in Japan) sends their thanks and congratulations. Down here, we see a successful grapple and capture of the Kounotori cargo vehicle. Good work."

The HTV is nicknamed Kounotori, or white stork in Japanese.

CAPTURE. The space station's robot arm has grappled the HTV cargo ship.

Karen Nyberg is driving the robot arm toward the HTV right now.

Mission Control just gave the space station crew the "go" for capture of the HTV with the lab's robot arm.

The space station crew confirms the HTV is at the capture point 33 feet below the outpost's Kibo module. Karen Nyberg will soon maneuver the robot arm toward the spacecraft's grapple fixture.

The HTV is now just 30 feet below the space station's pressurized modules and holding in position. NASA says grapple with the robot arm is now expected at 1126 GMT (7:26 a.m. EDT).

The HTV is about 49 feet from the space station now. Station crew members and control teams in Houston and Japan are evaluating the craft's flight path toward the complex. The HTV must stay within a tight corridor during this phase of approach for the robot arm to grapple the free-flying satellite.

As the HTV moves less than 80 feet from the space station, the vehicles are moving into sunrise over the Pacific Ocean west of Peru.

The HTV has commenced its final approach to a capture point 10 meters, or about 30 feet, below the space station. European astronaut Luca Parmitano is standing by with a control panel to issue an abort or retreat command should the spacecraft drift out of its rendezvous corridor.

Karen Nyberg and Chris Cassidy are inside the station's seven-window cupola module at the controls of the robot arm.

Mission control and the crew are go to resume the HTV's approach to the capture point 10 meters from the space station.

The HTV is now hovering at a hold point just 30 meters, or about 98 feet, below the space station's Kibo laboratory module. It is dark outside the complex right now, but orbital sunrise is expected in about 20 minutes.

The craft is scheduled to remain at this hold point for about 20 minutes before pressing into the capture box about 10 meters from the space station.

The station crew is now participating in a capture briefing to go over procedures for today's HTV arrival.

Range between the HTV and the space station is now 80 meters, or 262 feet.

The HTV is now within 200 meters, or about 650 feet, of the space station.

The HTV has resumed its approach from the 250-meter hold point. The astronauts inside the space station are now checking out a control panel that would be used to order manual holds, retreats and aborts in the final rendezvous sequence, if necessary.

The HTV has completed a 180-degree yaw maneuver to better align its grapple fixture with the position of the station's robot arm. The flip also improves its position for a potential abort if problems develop.

The HTV has reached a hold point 250 meters, or 820 feet, below the space station. The rendezvous plan calls for the spacecraft to stop at this location for about 30 minutes. If everything looks acceptable, ground controllers will give the "go" to continue the approach.

The spacecraft should now be working with navigation data from its laser sensor, which shoots beams of light toward reflectors mounted on the bottom of the station for precise range and closing rate information.

The HTV is now 500 meters, or 1,640 feet, directly beneath the space station at the so-called rendezvous insertion point.

Follow the rendezvous of the HTV cargo craft with our timeline showing major events over the next few hours.

JAXA controllers have given approval for the HTV to resume its approach to the space station. The craft departed the approach initiation point 5 kilometers behind the complex at 0805 GMT (4:05 a.m. EDT), according to JAXA.

The next step in the rendezvous is reaching an insertion point 500 meters, or 1,640 feet, below the station in less than an hour.

The HTV has arrived at the approach initiation point 5 kilometers, or 3.1 miles behind the International Space Station, according to the Japanese space agency. The spacecraft has paused its rendezvous at this point as controllers in Houston and Tsukuba, Japan, evaluate their readiness for the final approach.

The cargo ship is scheduled to resume its approach at about 0805 GMT (4:05 a.m. EDT) en route to a rendezvous insertion point 500 meters, or 1,640 feet, directly below the space station.

After five days of rocket burns to fine-tune its approach to the International Space Station, Japan's fourth HTV cargo craft is on track for a laser-guided rendezvous with the 450-ton complex early Friday.

Grapple of the HTV by the space station's robot arm is scheduled for 1129 GMT (7:29 a.m. EDT). The Canadian-built arm will be controlled by NASA astronauts Karen Nyberg and Chris Cassidy. Italian flight engineer Luca Parmitano will monitor the status of the H-2 Transfer Vehicle's systems and operate a control panel to command the HTV to hold, retreat or abort its approach in the event of a problem.

Nyberg will be in charge of robotic arm operations from the space station's cupola, a windowed module with a panoramic view outside the outpost.

The robot arm will place the HTV on the Earth-facing port of the space station's Harmony module about two hours later.

Ed Van Cise, NASA's lead flight director for the HTV 4 mission, said everything is on track for rendezvous after a successful launch of the 35,000-pound freighter aboard an H-2B rocket from the Tanegashima Space Center on Saturday.

"It was a flawless launch and the vehicle is performing very well," Van Cise said in an interview on NASA TV.

Van Cise said Japanese engineers have developed a workaround for a minor glitch in the HTV's propulsion system. Telemetry from the spacecraft periodically indicates a latching valve in one of two redundant strings of the HTV's propulsion system is in the incorrect position, despite evidence the valve itself is functioning normally.

"The Japanese team has done a very good job investigating what might be wrong and coming up with workarounds," Van Cise said.

A Japanese resupply freighter took off Saturday with nearly six tons of cargo bound for the International Space Station, bringing fresh food, experiments, spare parts and a charming humanoid robot name Kirobo to keep the outpost's six-person crew company.

Read our full story.

SPACECRAFT SEPARATION! The H-2 Transfer Vehicle has been deployed from the H-2B rocket's upper stage, setting the stage for the ship's rendezvous and arrival at the International Space Station next Friday at 1129 GMT (7:29 a.m. EDT) with grapple by the lab's robotic arm.

T+plus 14 minutes, 30 seconds. The second stage engine has shut down as planned as the rocket flies northeast of the island of New Guinea.

Spacecraft separation should occur at T+plus 15 minutes, 11 seconds.

T+plus 13 minutes, 30 seconds. The second stage's single LE-5B engine will turn off at T+plus 14 minutes, 20 seconds to wrap up the powered phase of today's launch.

The rocket is shooting for an orbit with an apogee of 186 miles, a perigee of 124 miles, and an inclination of about 51.6 degrees.

T+plus 13 minutes. The rocket is flying over the far western Pacific Ocean and now out of range of a ground station at the Tanegashima Space Center. A downrange station in Guam is now tracking the rocket.

T+plus 9 minutes. The second stage continues firing. This is a planned 8-minute, 19-second burn to inject the HTV into orbit.

The LE-7A main engines have shut down on time and the spent first stage has separated from the second stage. And the upper stage LE-5B engine has ignited to propel the rocket the rest of the way to orbit.

T+plus 4 minutes. The H-2B rocket's LE-7A main engines continue firing and everything is reported to be normal aboard the rocket.

JAXA confirms the two-piece payload fairing has been released from the rocket after it has traversed the dense lower layers of the atmosphere.

Altitude is reported at 107.9 kilometers and velocity is 2.3 kilometers per second.

The first stage is burning well three minutes into flight. Attitude control, flight trajectory and combustion inside the two LE-7A first stage engines are all normal, JAXA reports.

The rocket's four strap-on boosters have burned out and jettisoned in two pairs.

T+plus 1 minute. The H-2B rocket has already broken the sound barrier as it flies southeast from the launch site.

LIFTOFF. The H-2B rocket is lighting up the night sky over Tanegashima Space Center with supplies for the International Space Station.

T-minus 60 seconds and counting. Thousands of gallons of water are now being poured over the launch platform to cushion the structure from intense acoustic vibrations at launch. In the countdown's final minute, the rocket will be armed and the guidance system will start.

The ignition sequence of the two first stage engines begins 5.2 seconds before liftoff.

T-minus 90 seconds. The first and second stage propellant systems have been readied for launch.

T-minus 2 minutes.

T-minus 3 minutes and counting. The H-2B rocket should be transitioning to internal power at this time. Everything remains set for liftoff at 1948:46 GMT.

T-minus 4 minutes, 30 seconds. Weather conditions at Tanegashima remain favorable for an on-time launch. And a status check of downrange tracking stations indicate they are ready to support.

The automatic countdown sequence has also started.

T-minus 5 minutes and counting. The International Space Station will by flying more than 200 miles over the border of Russia and Kazakhstan at the time of launch. The six-person crew is watching the launch via a live video stream.

T-minus 6 minutes and counting. In the final minutes of the countdown, an automated sequencer will control the final crucial steps before launch.

The automatic sequence will begin at T-minus 4 minutes, 30 seconds and computers will pressurize the H-2B's propellant tanks for flight at T-minus 4 minutes, 20 seconds.

At T-minus 3 minutes, the launcher will transition to internal battery power and remove external power.

Water will be released onto the launch pad deck beginning at T-minus 73 seconds to help suppress sound and acoustics during the ignition and liftoff.

The vehicle's pyrotechnic and ordnance systems will be armed at T-minus 30 seconds and the rocket's guidance system initializes at T-minus 18 seconds. Batteries controlling solid rocket booster ignition are activated at T-minus 15 seconds.

Sparklers underneath the rocket's two main engines ignite at T-minus 11.7 seconds to burn off residual hydrogen that could be an explosive hazard at main engine start.

T-minus 8 minutes and counting. The terminal countdown has started at the Tanegashima Space Center.

The H-2 Transfer Vehicle weighs about 35,000 pounds at launch. That mass includes maneuvering fuel and 5.4 metric tons of supplies for the International Space Station. Among the logistics is 1.5 metric tons of external equipment, mostly comprised of a main bus switching unit, a utility transfer assembly and an Air Force-sponsored research payload.

Inside the HTV's pressurized cabin, workers loaded 3.9 metric tons of cargo for JAXA and NASA, including crew provisions, scientific gear, computers and spare parts.

T-minus 18 minutes and counting. Engineers are uploading the latest upper level wind data into the H-2B's flight computer. The rocket will use the information to compute a specific steering profile based on the real launch day weather conditions.

The 186-foot-tall H-2B rocket is sitting at Launch Pad No. 2 of the Yoshinobu launch complex situated on rocky outcrop at the southeastern tip of Tanegashima Island. The Yoshinobu launch complex was built for the H-2 rocket program that began operations in 1994 and has since been modified for use by the more powerful and reliable H-2A rocket family.

Launch Pad No. 1 of the Yoshinobu range hosts H-2A rockets and Launch Pad No. 2 is designed for the larger H-2B rocket, which was designed specifically for the H-2 Transfer Vehicle. Both facilities use a "clean pad" concept and with just a mobile umbilical tower attached to the launch platform.

In all, 32 rockets to date have departed Earth from the Yoshinobu complex since 1994. The most recent flight was an H-2A rocket launch in January 2013 2010.

Familiarize yourself with the major events of today's launch. It will take about 15 minutes for the H-2B rocket to deliver the space station cargo freighter to orbit.

T-minus 30 minutes and counting. The International Space Station flight control team in Houston reports they are "go" for launch. The H-2 Transfer Vehicle, the 33-foot-long payload for today's launch, will arrive at the orbiting lab next Friday, Aug. 9.

In the last few hours, launch officials completed a series of communications checks between the ground and the H-2B rocket.

With less than an hour to go until liftoff, launch officials have issued approval to enter the final 60 minutes of the countdown.

The final hour of the countdown will prepare the rocket, the H-2 Transfer Vehicle, and ground systems for flight.

Today's launch is timed for precisely 1948:46 GMT (3:48:46 a.m. EDT; 4:48:46 a.m. JST), when the Earth's rotation will bring Tanegashima into the orbital path of the space station. The rocket must launch at the appointed time because there is no launch window available.

The rocket is now fully fueled to liftoff, but cryogenic liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen propellant continues to trickle into the vehicle to replace the fluid as it boils off.

Japan rolled an H-2B rocket to its launch pad Saturday at Tanegashima Space Center, where the vehicle will undergo fueling and final preparations for liftoff on a cargo delivery mission to the International Space Station.

The 186-foot-tall rocket rolled about 400 meters, or 1,300 feet, from Tanegashima's Vehicle Assembly Building to Launch Pad No. 2 at the space center's oceanfront launch complex. The transfer took about 30 minutes, according to the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, or JAXA.

Launch officials convened a few hours before rollout to assess weather conditions at Tanegashima, an island off the southern coast of Kyushu. The space center is positioned on the southeastern flank of the picturesque island.

Workers were expected to connect the rocket's mobile launch platform to propellant, communications and electrical systems at the pad. Filling of the H-2B with liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen is expected to begin after 1100 GMT (7 a.m. EDT).

Both stages of the rocket burn cryogenic propellant.

Liftoff is scheduled for 1948:46 GMT (3:48:46 p.m. EDT) Saturday. It will be 4:48 a.m. local time Sunday in Japan.

After turning southeast from Tanegashima and climbing into space, the rocket will deploy the 35,000-pound H-2 Transfer Vehicle about 15 minutes after blastoff.

The HTV is full of scientific equipment, provisions and other supplies for the six-person crew aboard the space station. The spacecraft is supposed to arrive at the outpost next Friday, Aug. 9.

The mission is nicknamed Kounotori 4, which means white stork.

It is the fourth HTV flight by Japan since the robotic cargo ship debuted in 2009.