The International Space Station (ISS) is about to receive supplies to replenish existing stocks. A robotic Japanese resupply ship launched from Earth, bringing these supplies, chasing after the space station until it enters a similar orbit.

The freighter, designated HTV-7, lifted off from Japan's Tanegashima Space Center. It was carried by an H-II rocket. Its 5-ton cargo consisted of various supplies like food and fuel and other integral items like scientific items, among other important cargo. "HTV," according to Space, stands for "H-II Transfer Vehicle." The cargo craft was supposed to launch earlier in September but due to Typhoon Mangkhut, it was moved to a later date.

The freighter, meanwhile, is designated Kounotori-"white stork" in Japanese. HTV-7 is the seventh cargo mission, dating all the way back to September 2009. The sixth mission in the series, HTV-6, finished its service only last 2016.

A description of the mission is available on NASA. The HTV-7 is expected to dock with the space station, where the expedition commander Drew Feustel and flight engineer Serena Aunon-Chancellor of NASA will help unload the cargo. The Canadarm2 robotic arm will aid the spacecraft as it docks with the station, with flight engineer Alexander Gerst of the ESA (European Space Agency) will watch HTV-7's systems.

Rounding out the list of cargo the Kounotori carries are six new lithium-ion batteries, adapter plates that are meant to replace the aging nickel-hydrogen batteries of the space station. These batteries are part of the ISS' electrical power system. It will be a sight to see as astronauts perform an exchange of the batteries through two spacewalks and robotic operations.

HTV-7 also carries a re-entry capsule, which researchers will use to carry payloads back home. The capsule is cone-shaped and designed by JAXA. It measures 2 feet high. It is an experimental technology designed to carry back small science payloads through an unmanned insertion from space to Earth. The capsule will splash back down to Earth off the coast of Japan, where a JAXA ship will be waiting for it.

There are other payloads that the HTV-7 is bringing, like the Electrostatic Levitation Furnace (JAXA-ELF) sample holder as well other scientific items. It will reenter the Earth's atmosphere through a harmless maneuver, where it will try to deorbit and burn up safely upon re-entry.