Satnews Daily
September 16th, 2019

Fire at Japan's Tanegashima Space Center Scrubs H-IIB Launch to ISS



Photo of Japan's H-IIB rocket is courtesy of JAXA.

The launch of a Japanese H-IIB rocket with a Kounotori 8 cargo spacecraft aboard carrying experimental equipment, new reservoirs for water storage and NASA-designed oxygen recharge systems to the International Space Station (ISS) has been scrubbed after a fire erupted on the launch platform, according to media reports.

The launch of the Mitsubishi Heavy Industries H-IIB rocket was scheduled at the Tanegashima Space Centre in the Kagoshima prefecture. The Kounotori 8 spacecraft, also known as HTV-8, carrying over 4 tons of supplies was slated to reach the ISS for 14 September.

The fire reportedly burned for about two hours before being extinguished — no injuries were reported. The cause of the fire, and whether it caused any damage to the H-IIB rocket, has yet to be determined, according to sources.

The last HTV-type spacecraft was sent into space in September 2018. To date, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries has reportedly launched seven HTV missions since 2009. The latest launch would have lifted off on the 10th anniversary of the first HTV flight.

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) has become an important player in space exploration, making significant contributions to the orbital research platform, including regular cargo flights by Kounotori unmanned transfer vehicles.

Article source: Sputnik News