Japan – Page 30 – Spaceflight Now

Sporting new upgrades, H-2A rocket readied for flight

November 23, 2015 Stephen Clark

A Japanese H-2A rocket is set for liftoff Tuesday on its first fully commercial mission, carrying a communications satellite for Telesat of Canada that will bridge the Atlantic Ocean with expanded coverage for television broadcasters and mobile users from Latin America to the Middle East.

Tiny thrusters to do heavy lifting as Japanese probe approaches Venus

November 18, 2015 Stephen Clark

Inside a month until its next chance to swing into orbit around Venus, Japan’s Akatsuki spacecraft has weathered unexpectedly “severe” conditions after missing an arrival opportunity in 2010, according to the mission’s project scientist.

Target of Japanese space mission named for dragon’s palace

October 5, 2015 Stephen Clark

The Japanese space agency has selected Ryugu as the name of an asteroid pursued by the country’s Hayabusa 2 space probe, naming the object after a dragon’s palace in an ancient Japanese fairy tale, officials said Monday.

HTV supply ship sets course for re-entry

September 28, 2015 Stephen Clark

Heading for a destructive re-entry over the South Pacific with several tons of trash, Japan’s fifth HTV cargo craft departed the International Space Station on Monday after overcoming a last-minute snag in the lab’s robotics system.

Japanese X-ray observatory completes decade-long mission

September 4, 2015 Stephen Clark

An orbiting astronomical observatory launched 10 years ago to probe violent stellar explosions and black holes has been deactivated after it stopped regularly communicating with the ground, the Japanese space agency said Thursday.

Photos: HTV supply ship glistens on approach to ISS

August 26, 2015 Stephen Clark

Photos captured by astronauts on the International Space Station show a Japanese cargo freighter, covered with reflective solar panels and golden insulation, on final approach to the 250-mile-high outpost.

Japanese HTV supply carrier reaches space station

August 24, 2015 Stephen Clark

Japan’s fifth HTV cargo freighter completed a five-day flight to the International Space Station on Monday, making a glacial laser-guided approach to the complex with a 9,500-pound package of food, spare parts and experiments.

H-2B rocket launch sends supply shipment to space station

August 19, 2015 Stephen Clark

A cache of critical cargo stowed inside a solar-powered Japanese resupply freighter is speeding toward a rendezvous with the International Space Station after a successful launch Wednesday.

Live coverage: Japanese cargo craft arrives at space station

August 19, 2015 Stephen Clark

An automated logistics vehicle packed with nearly five tons of supplies reached the International Space Station on Monday after a laser-guided rendezvous culminating with grapple of the HTV cargo craft by the station’s robotic arm at 1028 GMT (6:28 a.m. EDT).

Japanese rocket ready to launch supplies to space station

August 18, 2015 Stephen Clark

A Japanese HTV cargo craft is being prepped for liftoff Wednesday with a much-needed shipment of provisions for the International Space Station’s six-person crew after a spate of failures strained the orbiting lab’s supply chain with Earth.