JAXA Unveils New HTV-X Unmanned Vehicle; Will Make Five Trips to Deliver Supplies to Astronauts by Fiscal 2029

The Yomiuri Shimbun

15:12 JST, June 12, 2025

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) recently unveiled its new unmanned cargo transfer vehicle, the HTV-X No. 1, which will carry supplies to the International Space Station, at the Tanegashima Space Center in Kagoshima Prefecture.

The HTV-X will be launched on an H3 main rocket in this fiscal year.

The HTV-X is the successor to the HTV, which was retired in 2020, and was developed by JAXA, Mitsubishi Electric Corp. and others at a total cost of about ¥35.6 billion. It is scheduled to make five trips to deliver food, water, experimental materials and other supplies for astronauts by fiscal 2029.

The propulsion system and other equipment were completed by 2024. The assembly of the vehicle, which is eight meters long, was finished with the attachment of the payload section. The HTV-X has 1.5 times the carrying capacity of its predecessor.

“We want to ensure the success of the fifth HTV and establish a legacy that continues the work of the previous models,” JAXA’s project manager, Norimasa Ito, said.