After a Perfect Liftoff, HTV-4 Heads for Station

On the Way
Credit : JAXA

After a flawless liftoff yesterday, Japan’s Kounotori-4 cargo vessel is en route to a Friday arrival and berthing with the International Space Station.  The liftoff  of the H-IIB launch vehicle, which occurred precisely on time at 4:48:46 AM local, was accompanied by the rocket’s distinctive screaming sound, which pierced the pre-dawn hours of the Tanegashima Launch Center located on an island south of the Japanese mainland.

 With Russia having resumed progress resupply missions after a momentary concern caused by the dramatic destruction of a Proton booster at Baikonur on July 1st, eyes will now turn to back to the Wallops Flight Facility and the first planned flight of the Orbital Sciences Cygnus supply vessel and the final milestone under NASA’s COTS program, which is scheduled to take place during a launch window beginning September 14th.