A Russian spacecraft carrying two Japanese civilians, including businessman Yusaku Maezawa, will be launched toward the International Space Station on the 8th of Japan time, and will travel for about 12 days.
This is the first time that Japanese civilians have stayed at the International Space Station due to a series of space flights by civilians.
Yusaku Maezawa, a businessman, and Yozo Hirano, an officer of an affiliated company, boarded the Russian spacecraft "Soyuz" with a Russian astronaut, and it was past 4:30 pm on the 8th of Japan time. It will be launched from Kazakhstan.
It is the first Japanese civilian to stay at the International Space Station and plan to travel in space for about 12 days.
The Japanese space flight was first carried out by Toyohiro Akiyama, who was a reporter for a private television station 31 years ago, followed by national astronauts such as Mamoru Mohri, and a total of 12 Japanese who flew in space. I am a person.
Including Mr. Maezawa and others this time, the total number of Japanese who went to space will be 14.
This year is said to be the year when space travel began in earnest, and while there were 20 civilians launched into space in the world, 18 astronauts in the country have already surpassed civilians. If you add two people such as Maezawa, the number of civilians will be 22.
Mr. Maezawa wants to conduct experiments recruited from the general public while staying in space and distribute it on the Internet, and is planning to return to the earth on the 20th of this month, Japan time.