Kounotori 9


Kounotori 9, also known as HTV-9 is the 9th flight of the H-II Transfer Vehicle, a robotic cargo spacecraft to resupply the International Space Station. It was launched on 20 May 2020, at 17:31:00 UTC.
Kounotori 9 will be the last HTV of the original model, with following missions replaced with the HTV-X.

Spacecraft

Major difference from the previous Kounotori are:
Wireless LAN Demonstration, or WLD is an experiment that will be performed during Kounotori 9's flight. During the test, a video taken by Kounotori 9 will be broadcast in real time on board the space station, via a wireless LAN datalink. The experiment will be conducting during Kounotori 9's approach, departure, and while berthed to the ISS. For WLD, the spacecraft has a camera attached to its propulsion module, while a data processor and WLAN antenna is located at the Unpressurized Logistics Carrier's aperture. The technology to be tested by WLD will enable ISS crews to monitor approaching vehicles during an autonomous docking. According to JAXA, if successful this will be the first time for two spacecrafts to communicate using WLAN during a rendezvous.

Cargo

Kounotori 9 will carry about 6200 kg of cargo, consisting of 4300 kg in the pressurized compartment and 1900 kg in the unpressurized compartment.
In addition to food items and crew commodities, the pressurized compartment 's cargo consists of:
Cargo in the unpressurized compartment is the Exposed Pallet which carries the six lithium-ion batteries Orbital Replacement Units for replacing the ISS's existing nickel-hydrogen batteries. This is the last of the series of transportation of replacement batteries, following the previous Kounotori 6, Kounotori 7, and Kounotori 8.
On departure from ISS, Kounotori 9 will be loaded with the Exposed Pallet of Kounotori 8 carrying the replaced nickel-hydrogen batteries. It was left on ISS due to the missed extravehicular activity during the Kounotori 7 mission for the launch failure of Soyuz MS-10 in 2018. The Exposed Pallet of Kounotori 9 will be left on ISS, and subsequently it is to be disposed by jettisoning into orbit using Space Station Remote Manipulator System, carrying old nickel-hydrogen batteries.

Operations

Launch

Kounotori 9 was launched aboard the ninth and final launch of H-IIB rocket on 20 May 2020, at 17:31:00 UTC. The launch took place amid the COVID-19 pandemic, so that the usual launch viewing places were closed to spectators, and the local town offices requested not to visit for launch observation.
After the successful launch, the Kounotori 9 arrived to the proximity of the International Space Station on 25 May 2020, and it was captured by SSRMS at 12:13 UTC. It was mated to the Harmony's Common Berthing Mechanism. Berthing operation completed at 18:25 UTC.

Operation while berthed to ISS

ISS crew opened the hatch of the Kounotori's PLC, and entered at 19:24 UTC. Cargo transfer of the pressurized cargo by the crew began on 26 May.
Exposed Pallet, which carries lithium-ion batteries, was extracted from the ULC by the ground-operated SSRMS on 1 June 2020. Then, Kounotori 8's Exposed Pallet, carrying old nickel-hydrogen batteries, was stowed into the ULC on 02:48, 2 June 2020.