Japanese Spacecraft Arrives at International Space Station

Kounotori 2, an H2 Transfer Vehicle (HTV) arrived at the International Space Station on Thursday, January 27, 2011, according to JAXA, the Japanese Space Agency.

Kounotori is Japanese for "crane".

The unmanned spacecraft, which was launched from Japan's Tanegashima Space Center aboard an H-2B rocket on January 22, brought more than five tons of clothing, food, water, experimental equipment and spare parts to the astronauts aboard the ISS.

A robotic arm on the ISS was used to attach Kounotori 2 to the space station. The supply craft will stay attached to the ISS for about 40 days, where it will be used as a trash receptacle. It will then be detached and left to fall through the Earth's atmosphere, where it will eventually burn up.

Kounotori 2 is the second spacecraft built by JAXA.