New JAXA HTV-X Cargo Vehicle Launches with Over 20 Research Projects for the International Space Station

Written by Copernical Team Friday, 31 October 2025 01:25

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Tokyo, Japan (SPX) Oct 31, 2025

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) successfully launched its HTV-X cargo vehicle to the International Space Station (ISS) on October 26, 2025, from the Tanegashima Space Center in Japan. This vehicle serves as a successor to JAXA's previous HTV "Kounotori" and is designed to deliver essential supplies and scientific payloads to the station over multiple missions. On its first jo

New JAXA HTV-X Cargo Vehicle Launches with Over 20 Research Projects for the International Space Station
by Riko Seibo
Tokyo, Japan (SPX) Oct 31, 2025

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) successfully launched its HTV-X cargo vehicle to the International Space Station (ISS) on October 26, 2025, from the Tanegashima Space Center in Japan. This vehicle serves as a successor to JAXA's previous HTV "Kounotori" and is designed to deliver essential supplies and scientific payloads to the station over multiple missions.

On its first journey, the HTV-X is transporting more than 20 projects sponsored by the ISS National Lab. Among these, over 15 projects will utilize the Materials International Space Station Experiment (MISSE) Flight Facility on the station's exterior to expose materials and components to the extreme space environment, including atomic oxygen, radiation, and temperature extremes.

Participating projects include 3M, which will test durable film technologies with electrical, optical, and environmental applications for space. Researchers from the University of Notre Dame will assess lightweight, high-strength polymer composite films for uses such as inflatable modules, spacesuits, satellite shielding, and deorbiting parachutes. The startup BULL will test materials for Post Mission Disposal devices intended to enable spacecraft to autonomously deorbit, reducing space debris risks.

Additionally, Space Tango is launching its second Mambo facility to the ISS. This automated research system supports multiple experiments simultaneously with limited astronaut involvement. The improved Mambo offers an expanded workspace, higher power and data capacity, enhanced temperature control, and supports both standard CubeLabs and custom designs.

The HTV-X mission represents an extension of access for researchers to conduct experiments on the ISS, advancing knowledge with potential benefits for life on Earth and supporting a sustainable economy in low Earth orbit.