Astronaut Koichi Wakata, who has completed five spaceflights, the most of any Japanese, held a press conference in Tokyo on the 29th, ahead of his retirement from JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) at the end of this month, saying, ``I hope to put my experience to good use.'' "I want to encourage private space activities," he said with enthusiasm.
Koichi Wakata (60 years old) has completed five space flights and has spent a total of over 504 days in space, both records for the longest and longest stay for a Japanese person. He also served as the station's "captain."
Mr. Wakata will be retiring from JAXA at the end of this month, and held a press conference in Tokyo on the 29th.
In this statement, he stated, ``The private sector is the key to the sustainable development of manned space activities, and I would like to use my experience as an astronaut to encourage private sector activities,'' and expressed his intention to continue activities in the private sector. After making this clear, he expressed his enthusiasm, saying, ``I have not wavered from my goal of working hard as an astronaut for the rest of my life, and I want to aim for space as many times as I want.''
When asked about the most impressive thing, he said, ``I had so many valuable experiences over the past 32 years that it's hard to choose, but the beauty of the Earth I saw as the sun rose on my first launch was... But I remember it and it's the most memorable moment."
Mr. Wakata concluded with a smile, saying, ``Space is a place to try new things, and it is a space that gives many people endless dreams and hopes.''
Koichi Wakata's career and space flight history
Koichi Wakata is 60 years old from what is now Saitama City.
After completing graduate school at Kyushu University, he worked as an engineer for an airline company, and in 1992 was selected as an astronaut candidate through a selection test conducted by NASDA (Japan National Space Development Agency), the predecessor of JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency). was selected.
He made his first space flight on the Space Shuttle in 1996, and four years later, on his second space flight in 2000, he operated a robotic arm and participated in the construction of the International Space Station.
During my third spaceflight in 2009, I became the first Japanese person to spend an extended period of four months on the International Space Station.
In 2010, he was appointed head of the division at NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration), which manages astronauts from various countries on long-term stays on the International Space Station, a position he held for about a year.
On his fourth space flight from 2013 to the following year, he boarded the Russian spacecraft "Soyuz" and headed into space, becoming the first Japanese person to serve as "captain" of the International Space Station.
In 2018, he became the first astronaut to serve on the JAXA Board of Directors, and currently serves as a special advisor.
During his fifth spaceflight between October and last year, he headed into space aboard the American private spacecraft "Crew Dragon." During his stay at the International Space Station, he performed his first extravehicular activities twice, and also performed future lunar missions. We also worked on various experiments with an eye on Mars exploration.
Mr. Wakata's five space flights and a total of over 504 days in space are both the most and longest for any Japanese person.
Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Moriyama: ``Major contribution to demonstrating Japan's international presence''
At a press conference after the Cabinet meeting, Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Moriyama said, ``I would like to express my heartfelt respect for his many years of service.Mr. Wakata is a leading figure in Japan's international I hope that Mr. Wakata will continue to be involved in the development of space and science by making use of his experience as an astronaut and his wonderful personality. I look forward to his continued success."