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LEGENDActiveJAXA
LEGENDActiveJAXAJAXA·🇯🇵 Japan·Born 1963
Koichi Wakata
First Japanese astronaut to fly five times
1.4y
Years in Space
5
Missions
4
EVAs
21h
EVA Time
Japanese culture cherishes the spirit of harmony between people, also known as 'wa'.
What they aspire to
He aspired to embody the Japanese spirit of 'wa' (harmony) in international space cooperation.
Biography
Most experienced Japanese astronaut with 5 flights. First Japanese long-duration crew member and first Japanese ISS commander.
Before NASAAeronautical engineer at Japan Airlines specializing in aircraft structural maintenance before being selected by NASDA in 1992.
Records & Firsts
Notable accomplishments by Koichi Wakata
- First Japanese astronaut to fly five times
- First Japanese ISS commander (Expedition 39, 2014)
Mission Timeline
- Mission Specialist
SpaceX Crew Dragon Endurance
SpaceX Crew-5 / Expedition 68
Launch: Oct 5, 2022Landing: Mar 11, 2023Duration: 157 days
Beyond the Mission
Hobbies & Interests
Gobaseballphotographyflying
Causes They Champion
International cooperation in spaceflightYouth STEM outreach
Languages
JapaneseEnglishRussian
Awards & Honors
- NASA Space Flight Medal (five times)
- Medal with Purple Ribbon (Japan)
- Order of the Sacred Treasure, Gold Rays with Neck Ribbon
Fun fact
On Expedition 39 in 2014 he became the first Japanese commander of the International Space Station; during STS-72 he and Daniel Barry played the first game of Go in space.
Learn More
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