BBC NEWS | Science & Environment | Japan's space freighter in orbitJapan has successfully launched its new space freighter from the Tanegashima base in the south of the country. The 16.5-tonne unmanned H-II Transfer Vehicle (HTV) is on a mission to re-supply the space station. Its role is vitally important to the station project, which is set to lose the servicing capability of the US shuttle fleet next year. The freighter left Earth atop an H-IIB rocket at 0201
