How critical spare parts travel from Florida to the International Space Station

Space · Published 21 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: A vital piece of hardware is currently on a global journey. This video tracks the movement of specialized components from NASA's Kennedy Space Center to Japan, ahead of their eventual launch into orbit.

The cargo, including a cargo transportation container and a flex hose rotary coupler, departed Florida's Space Station Processing Facility on Thursday, August 19. This specific coupler is essential for transferring liquid ammonia across the rotating joints of the space station's radiators.

The journey to the Tanegashima Space Center in Japan involves transport by truck, plane, and boat, with an expected arrival on September 1. Once processed, these parts are scheduled to launch to the ISS on January 20, 2011, aboard the HTV-2 spacecraft via an H-IIB rocket.

General information, not professional advice. Spotted an error? Flag the card or see corrections and complaints.

Intellect Plus is a visual educational discovery platform for exploring fascinating facts and ideas. Brain Food, Not Brain Rot. What is Intellect Plus?

Related

• Moving the final pieces of the Space Shuttle era to the pad
• The logistical lifeline: how cargo ships sustain life in orbit
• The logistical backbone of orbital life: how cargo ships reach the ISS
• The logistical heavy lifting behind the International Space Station's expansion
• The logistics of life in orbit: a three-ton delivery to the ISS
• The transition from the Space Shuttle era to an uncertain future
• The mundane reality of living in a high-tech orbiting laboratory
• A tiny probe seeks to solve a 40-year lunar mystery
• The physiological toll of a year in orbit
• The human computers who calculated the path to the moon
• A cosmic call to heal a community in mourning
• Beyond Radio: How Optical Lasers Are Transforming Deep Space Data Transmission

More in Space agencies · More in Space · Latest · A–Z · All topics