HTV approaches the International Space Station

The unpiloted Japanese H-II Transfer Vehicle (HTV) approaches the International Space Station. Once the HTV was in range, NASA astronaut Nicole Stott, Canadian astronaut Robert Thirsk and ESA astronaut Frank De Winne, Expedition 20 flight engineers, used the Station's robotic arm Canadarm2 (bottom right) to grab the cargo craft and attach it to the Earth-facing port of the Harmony node. The attachment was completed at 00:26 CEST on 18 September 2009. The Japanese space laboratory Kibo is at the top of this image.