Japanese cargo craft flying to station
At the time of launch, the space station was flying about 250 miles over the Philippine Sea south of Japan.
A little more than 15 minutes after launch, the HTV-6 cargo spacecraft successfully separated from the rocket and began its four-day rendezvous with the International Space Station.
On Tuesday, Dec. 13, the HTV-6 will approach the station from below, and slowly inch its way toward the complex.
Expedition 50 Commander Shane Kimbrough of NASA and Flight Engineer Thomas Pesquet of ESA (European Space Agency) will operate the station’s Canadarm2 robotic arm from the station’s cupola to reach out and grapple the 12-ton spacecraft.
Robotic ground controllers will then install it on the Earth-facing side of the Harmony module, where it will spend more than five weeks.
Flight Engineer Peggy Whitson of NASA will monitor HTV-6 systems during the rendezvous and grapple, read the NASA website.
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