Astronauts in Japan

Today, I’m going to talk about “Astronauts in Japan”. Although I thinks that you know, the occupation of an astronaut is a very dangerous occupation.

On February 1 2003, When the American spacecraft space shuttle "Columbia" reentered the atmosphere, it fell apart in flight and seven astronauts were victims. Columbia finished the 28th missions and just before it return to the earth.

This occupation is next to death and failure is not allowed. All crews' lives are sometimes even lost by one person's failure. Then, why do people think that they want to go to the universe? That will be because there is value that its life is risked in the universe. However, even so, people cannot throw away a life easily. Therefore, what get an astronaut is several persons who passed the severe examination. Moreover, they stack very severe training like cannot think from a usual life. I will introduce some chosen astronauts.

    

○Mouri Mamoru

     He is the second Japanese astronaut. And, he is the first astronaut to join a space shuttle program as Japanese people. After he returned, he said in front of the television camera, "from the universe, the international border was not visible."

 

○Hoshide Akihiko

     He had decided to become an astronaut　very early. When he was a student in the fourth year of a university, he saw the astronaut's advertisement. Although he didn't have a qualification requirement, he was consulting to NASDA directly. Then he gave up the application after all, he passed in 1999.

     On May 31 2008, he went to the universe from the Kennedy Space Center with space shuttle Discovery. His work　was building of the experiment building "Kibo" of Japan in ISS. On June 3, he set up "Kibo" using the robot arm of ISS. He became the first Japanese astronaut who operated the robot arm of ISS.

 

○Yamazaki Naoko

     She is the 2nd female astronaut in Japan. She has a husband and two daughters.

     She aimed at the astronaut working for development business of the International Space Station. After three years from entrance into the company, she was selected by the astronaut.

     On April 5 2010, she got on space shuttle Discovery and launched from the Kennedy Space Center. While staying at the universe, she managed various duties. And she seceded from ISS with Discovery on April 17, and returned to the Kennedy Space Center on the 20th. Since space shuttle retired in 2011, she became the last shuttle Japanese passenger.

     Although the first long stay as the Japanese woman of ISS was also expected, she announced retirement in August, 2011.

 

○Furukawa Satoshi

     Although he had a doctor’s degree as doctor, but now he is playing an active part for the longest days (167 days) in Japan. His activity making full use of the experience as a doctor is expected in the universe.

     On June 8 2011, he got on Soyuz and stayed at ISS for five months and a half. This was his first flight.