JAXA

The HTV-7 "Kounotori" cargo spacecraft captured by the Canadarm2 robotic arm (Image NASA TV)

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A little while ago the HTV-7 “Kounotori” spacecraft was captured by the International Space Station’s Canadarm2 robotic arm, operated by Drew Feustel with the assistance of Serena Auñón-Chancellor. The Japanese space cargo ship, which blasted off last Saturday, carries a huge amount of supplies and experiments. After its capture, it will take a little while before the HTV-7 starts getting moved to its berthing location on the Harmony module.

The HTV-7 cargo spacecraft blasting off atop a H-IIB rocket (Image NASA TV / JAXA)

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A little while ago the HTV-7 spacecraft blasted off atop a H-IIB rocket from the Tanegashima space center in Japan for a resupply mission to the International Space Station. About fifteen minutes after the launch, the cargo spacecraft separated regularly from the rocket’s last stage, entered its preliminary orbit and deployed its solar panels and navigation antennas.

Asteroid Ryugu

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The Japanese space agency JAXA has confirmed that its space probe Hayabusa 2 has reached the asteroid Ryugu. It’s now at an altitude of about 20 kilometers and from there it will begin a series of observations of the surface in order to find the most suitable area to land. That maneuver will take place in October 2018 at a date yet to be determined.