Japan has successfully tested the state of the art unmanned H-II Transfer Vehicle (HTV), that has been developed to supply essential items to the International Space Station (ISS). The test was completed when the autonomous vehicle re-entered earth’s atmosphere heating the vehicle surface at 2000 degrees centigrade.

The H-II Transfer Vehicle is a disposable craft that can be launched from a space launch pad or a space port and ferry supplies to the space station. The test involved successful docking and release of the experimental delivery vehicle. As per the reports, the H-II docked with the ISS and was later undocked with the help of a robotic arm stationed at the space station.

The next flight of the HTV, that is scheduled for the year 2010, will comprise of cargo weighing upto 4.5 metric tons in the upper compartment of the craft and another separate cargo of 1.5 tons in the middle unpressurized section of the HTV. However, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency has indicated the scheduled launch of the H-II Transfer Vehicle could very well be delayed as, due to the sometimes unpredictable change in ISS workings.

The successful test run of the H-II Transfer Vehicle has given its manufacturer, Mitsubishi Electric Corporation the capability of handling a $66 million project, under which the company will provide Proximity Link System (PLS) components to the Orbital Sciences Corporation. These essential PLS components are crucial Cygnus Spacecraft, that has been designated with the responsibility of re-supplying the International Space Station during its operational tenure of 4 years, i.e. from 2010 to 2014.

Speaking on the successful launch of the H-II Transfer Vehicle, Koji Yamanaka (Flight Director, HTV) said,

“We have learned a great deal from this mission, such as procedures involved in space cooperation and the fact that we can build a safe spacecraft that can be entered by astronauts in space.”

Via Aviation Week.