The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency launched a 12-ton spacecraft full of supplies bound for the International Space Station Wednesday night from southern Japan.

JAXA's H-IIB rocket launched at 12:05 p.m. ET Tuesday, Sept. 24 (1:05 a.m. Sept. 25 in Japan), from the Tanegashima Space Center in southern Japan.

The HTV-8 spacecraft is named Kounotori, which means "white stork" in Japanese.

The craft will deliver six new lithium-ion batteries and corresponding adapter plates that will replace aging nickel-hydrogen batteries for two power channels on the station's far port truss segment.

Kounotori is expected to arrive Saturday morning to the ISS, where European Space Agency flight engineer Luca Parmitano will monitor the spacecraft during its approach and NASA astronaut and flight engineer Christina Koch will use the Canadarm2 robotic arm to grab the spacecraft.

The spacecraft will deliver experiments and supplies, including new lithium-ion batteries that will be installed through several astronaut spacewalks this year.

The space station crew is also preparing for three new residents.

NASA's Jessica Meir and Russian cosmonaut Oleg Skripochka, along with spaceflight participant Hazzaa Ali Almansoori, of the U.A.E., are scheduled to launch Sept. 25 for the space station.