The Expedition 20 crew opened the hatches to the newly arrived Japanese H-II Transfer Vehicle (HTV) Friday at 2:23 p.m. EDT. The crew entered the pressurized section of the HTV to begin cargo transfers to the station. After the HTV is empty they will fill it with trash. Cargo from the unpressurized section will be transferred using both the Canadarm2 and Japan's external robotic arm attached to the Kibo laboratory.

After chasing the International Space Station for seven days the HTV was grappled with the Canadarm2 and berthed to the station's Harmony Node on Thursday at 6:26 p.m. The station's newest crew member, Nicole Stott, along with Flight Engineers Robert Thirsk and Frank de Winne, operated the Canadarm2 flawlessly as the HTV floated just 30 feet away from the station.

› Listen to Nicole Stott Discussing the HTV at http://www.nasa.gov/mp3/387646main_stott_htv.mp3

A Russian cargo ship, the ISS Progress 34 (P34), is leaving the space station early Monday morning. After the P34 undocks from Zvezda's aft docking port, the cargo ship will orbit the Earth for engineering experiments until deorbiting on Sept. 27.

Not including the space shuttle, three cargo vehicles from around the world have now supplied the International Space Station with cargo. Europe's Automated Transfer Vehicle first arrived in April 2008, Russia's Progress vehicles have continuously supplied the station since 2000 and Japan's HTV completed its maiden voyage Thursday, Sept. 17.

Source http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/main/index.html