Koichi Wakata
Mr. Koichi Wakata (Born in Saitama Japan, 1st August 1963, Age 52) .
He is a Japanese engineer and a JAXA astronaut.
Up to now, he has been on the space shuttle of National Aeronautics and Space Administration(NASA), the Soyuz of Russian Federal Space Agency, and on a 4 degrees space flight mission.
He is a very influential space person in Japan.
Career
He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Aeronautical Engineering in 1987,
a Master of science degree in Applied Mechanics in 1989, and a Doctorate in Aerospace Engineering in 2004 from Kyushu University. He worked as a structural engineer for
Japan Airlines.
Spaceflight Experience
Wakata first flew aboard STS-72 in 1996, and then returned to space on STS-92 in 2000.
Wakata was stationed at the International Space Station (ISS) and returned to earth aboard Endeavour with the STS-127 crew on July 31, 2009.
STS-72
On STS-72, Wakata became the first Japanese Mission Spacialist.
STS-72 retrieved the Space Flyer Unit, deployed and retrieved the OAST-flyer,
and evaluated techniques to be used in the assembly of the ISS.
During STS-72, Wakata and fellow astronaut Dan Barry bacame the first people to
play the game “Go” in space. Wakata and Barry used a special “Go Set”, which was named “Go Space”, designed by Wai- Cheung Willson Chow.
“GO” is a board game involving two players. The two players alternately place black and white playing pieces, called “stones”, on the vacant intersections (“points”) of a board with a 19x19 grid of lines.
STS-92
Wakata became the first Japanese astronaut to work on the assembly of the
ISS during STS-92. The crew attached the Z1 truss and Pressurized Mating Adapter (PMA3) to the station using Discovery’s robotic arm. STS-92 Prepared the station for its first resident crew.
STS-119
Wakata served as flight engineer on STS-119. Which launched to the ISS in March 2009.
STS-119 delivered the S6 truss segment to the ISS. Wakata remained on board the ISS to
Serve flight engineer on Expedition 18, while STS-119 undocked and returned to Earth without him.
STS-127
Wakata returned to Earth in July 2009 aboard Endeavour with the STS-127 crew after being a flight engineer on the station. American and Canadian astronauts aboard
STS-127 delivered and installed the final two components of the
Japanese Experiment Modult: the Exposed Facility (JEM-EF), and the
Exposed Section(JEM-ES).
International Space Station- Expeditions 18, 19, 20
In February 2007, Wakata was assigned as a flight engineer to ISS Expedition 18,
scheduled to begin in winter of 2008. He launched with the crew of STS-119 and was the first resident station crew member from the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency(JAXA).
Wakata was the first Japanese astronaut to take part in a long duration mission on the ISS. Wakata is the first person to serve on five different crews without returning to Earth:
Expedition 18, Expedition 19, Expedition 20 and STS-127.
Soyuz TMA-11M
Wakata launched on Soyuz TMA-11M to the ISS in November 2013.
During Expedition 38 and Expedition 39.
Expedition38
Wakata arrived on the ISS as part of Expedition38, in late 2013.
Expedition39
Wakata became the commander of the ISS with Expedition39, in March 2014.
This marked the first time a Japanese astronaut became station commander,
and only the third time an astronaut not Russian nor American was station commander.
He returned to Earth on May 13, 2014.
Personal information
Wakata is married to Stefanie von Sachsen-Altenburg of Bonn, Germany, and has an 11-year-old son.
Future Goals
All of the experience gained through 16 years of astronaut business means that he can work towards helping to solve the International Space Station Problem.
In addition, for further development of the manned space activities of Japan, he wants to
work with a variety of technology, and to develop a spacecraft that can launch from the Tanegashima Space Center in Japan. He wants his experience as an astronaut to help take Japan’s space travel to become one of the leading countries in the world.
Mr. Koichi Wakata (Born in Saitama Japan, 1st August 1963, Age 52) .
He is a Japanese engineer and a JAXA astronaut.
Up to now, he has been on the space shuttle of National Aeronautics and Space Administration(NASA), the Soyuz of Russian Federal Space Agency, and on a 4 degrees space flight mission.
He is a very influential space person in Japan.
Career
He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Aeronautical Engineering in 1987,
a Master of science degree in Applied Mechanics in 1989, and a Doctorate in Aerospace Engineering in 2004 from Kyushu University. He worked as a structural engineer for
Japan Airlines.
Spaceflight Experience
Wakata first flew aboard STS-72 in 1996, and then returned to space on STS-92 in 2000.
Wakata was stationed at the International Space Station (ISS) and returned to earth aboard Endeavour with the STS-127 crew on July 31, 2009.
STS-72
On STS-72, Wakata became the first Japanese Mission Spacialist.
STS-72 retrieved the Space Flyer Unit, deployed and retrieved the OAST-flyer,
and evaluated techniques to be used in the assembly of the ISS.
During STS-72, Wakata and fellow astronaut Dan Barry bacame the first people to
play the game “Go” in space. Wakata and Barry used a special “Go Set”, which was named “Go Space”, designed by Wai- Cheung Willson Chow.
“GO” is a board game involving two players. The two players alternately place black and white playing pieces, called “stones”, on the vacant intersections (“points”) of a board with a 19x19 grid of lines.
STS-92
Wakata became the first Japanese astronaut to work on the assembly of the
ISS during STS-92. The crew attached the Z1 truss and Pressurized Mating Adapter (PMA3) to the station using Discovery’s robotic arm. STS-92 Prepared the station for its first resident crew.
STS-119
Wakata served as flight engineer on STS-119. Which launched to the ISS in March 2009.
STS-119 delivered the S6 truss segment to the ISS. Wakata remained on board the ISS to
Serve flight engineer on Expedition 18, while STS-119 undocked and returned to Earth without him.
STS-127
Wakata returned to Earth in July 2009 aboard Endeavour with the STS-127 crew after being a flight engineer on the station. American and Canadian astronauts aboard
STS-127 delivered and installed the final two components of the
Japanese Experiment Modult: the Exposed Facility (JEM-EF), and the
Exposed Section(JEM-ES).
International Space Station- Expeditions 18, 19, 20
In February 2007, Wakata was assigned as a flight engineer to ISS Expedition 18,
scheduled to begin in winter of 2008. He launched with the crew of STS-119 and was the first resident station crew member from the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency(JAXA).
Wakata was the first Japanese astronaut to take part in a long duration mission on the ISS. Wakata is the first person to serve on five different crews without returning to Earth:
Expedition 18, Expedition 19, Expedition 20 and STS-127.
Soyuz TMA-11M
Wakata launched on Soyuz TMA-11M to the ISS in November 2013.
During Expedition 38 and Expedition 39.
Expedition38
Wakata arrived on the ISS as part of Expedition38, in late 2013.
Expedition39
Wakata became the commander of the ISS with Expedition39, in March 2014.
This marked the first time a Japanese astronaut became station commander,
and only the third time an astronaut not Russian nor American was station commander.
He returned to Earth on May 13, 2014.
Personal information
Wakata is married to Stefanie von Sachsen-Altenburg of Bonn, Germany, and has an 11-year-old son.
Future Goals
All of the experience gained through 16 years of astronaut business means that he can work towards helping to solve the International Space Station Problem.
In addition, for further development of the manned space activities of Japan, he wants to
work with a variety of technology, and to develop a spacecraft that can launch from the Tanegashima Space Center in Japan. He wants his experience as an astronaut to help take Japan’s space travel to become one of the leading countries in the world.