TOKYO (Bernama-Kyodo): The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)'s HTV-X cargo transporter will re-enter the atmosphere over the South Pacific on Tuesday, ending its mission to deliver supplies to the International Space Station and support scientific experiments while orbiting Earth, Kyodo News reported.
The vehicle, the first of the HTV-X generation developed by JAXA, contains waste from ISS astronauts' daily activities and experiments and will burn up as it travels through the atmosphere, according to the agency.
The HTV-X can carry more cargo than its predecessor transporter, Kounotori, which was used until 2020, and can remain in orbit for up to 18 months after departing from the ISS.
JAXA launched the HTV-X in October last year aboard an H3 rocket from the Tanegashima Space Centre.
After departing the space station in March, it released a small satellite and supported various experiments. -- BERNAMA-KYODO
