By Jonathan Amos
Science reporter, BBC News
**Japan has successfully launched its new space freighter from the Tanegashima base in the south of the country.**The 16.5-tonne unmanned H-II Transfer Vehicle (HTV) is on a mission to re-supply the space station.
Its role is vitally important to the station project, which is set to lose the servicing capability of the US shuttle fleet next year.
The freighter left Earth atop an H-IIB rocket at 0201 local time on Friday (1701 GMT, Thursday).
Separation from the rocket’s upper-stage was confirmed some 15 minutes later.
The HTV mission is being directed by engineers in Tsukuba, Japan, and at the US space agency’s (Nasa) mission control in Houston.
It must conduct a number of tests of its navigation and rendezvous systems before making a close approach to the international platform.
Docking is not expected to take place until at least day eight of the mission.
The vehicle is carrying about 4.5 tonnes of cargo.
- Length: 9.8m; Diameter: 4.4m; Vehicle Mass: 10.5t; Max cargo: 6t
- Pressurised cargo: Food, clothing, water, laptops, science equipment, etc
- External cargo: Equipment to study Earth’s oceans and the atmosphere
- First unmanned vehicle to deliver both pressurised and unpressurised cargo
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