Japan’s HTV-X1 cargo spacecraft departs the International Space Station after its release from the Canadarm2 robotic arm on March 6, 2026. (Image credit: NASA+) Japan's new HTV-X cargo spacecraft departed the International Space Station today (March 6) after a four-month stay. The vehicle — known as HTV-X1, because it's the first of its kind — was released by the station's Canadarm2 robotic arm today at 12 p.m. EST (1700 GMT), right on schedule. The ISS was flying about 260 miles (418 kilometers) above the Pacific Ocean at the time, according to a NASA update . The HTV‑X1 cargo spacecraft is pictured on Oct. 29, 2025, after its capture by the International Space Station’s Canadarm2 robotic arm. (Image credit: NASA) The robotic HTV-X is the successor to Japan's H-II Transfer Vehicle ( HTV ), which flew nine cargo missions to the International Space Station (ISS) from 2009 to 2020. The new freighter launched for the first time on Oct.…