Live coverage: Soyuz crew capsule departs station, lands in Kazakhstan

A Japanese resupply freighter and its H-2B rocket booster rolled out of the vehicle assembly building at the Tanegashima Space Center just before sunrise Friday for the half-hour trip to the launch pad.

The next Cygnus resupply mission to the International Space Station set for liftoff Wednesday from Virginia’s Eastern Shore will introduce new capabilities for the commercial cargo freighter, including a longer operating life enabled by fuel-saving gyroscopes to support an extended mission months after the spacecraft departs the International Space Station, Northrop Grumman officials said.

Rollout of the Atlas 5 rocket from the Vertical Integration Facility to the launch pad at Complex 41 occurred at 10 a.m. on Monday. Liftoff is planned for Tuesday night to deliver the Cygnus resupply ship into orbit en route to the International Space Station.