Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Technical Review
    Vol. 50 No. 1 (2013)   New Products & Technologies
    Technical Papers

    For Steady Production of "KOUNOTORI" Series H-II Transfer Vehicle

    YOICHIRO MIKI
    KOICHI MATSUYAMA
    KAZUMI MASUDA
    HIROSHI SASAKI

    The H‐II Transfer Vehicle (HTV) is an unmanned but man‐rated designed resupply spacecraft developed by Japan as a means of transporting supplies to the International Space Station (ISS). Since the launch of vehicle No. 1 on September 11, 2009, the HTVs have accomplished their missions three times in a row up to vehicle No. 3 in July 2012. Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (MHI) is managing the production of the HTVs from vehicle No. 2 as the prime contractor, and we are planning to launch another four vehicles up to No. 7. Need for the HTVs is increasing after the retirement of the U.S. Space Shuttle. This paper introduces the efforts taken for the assured production in order to maintain the continued success of the HTVs.