Space Shuttle crew members are categorized as shown below.

A person who hopes to become an astronaut to fly shuttle missions, must take training courses supported by NASA(JAXA). Courses include the MS basic training course usually referred to as ASCAN training (AStronaut CANdidate), and PS training. After finishing either of the two courses, he or she will take training courses while awaiting mission assignment. After a mission is assigned to an astronaut, he or she will attend to a training course peculiar to the mission.

• ASCAN training
• PS training
• Training while awaiting mission assignment
• Mission specific training

ASCAN training

Familiarization training Orientation : Orientation about NASA organization and training, and facility tours of NASA centers. Common Culture training : Learn basic knowledge required for an astronaut, such as Space Science, Space Medicine, and Orbital Dynamics. Microgravity Experience training : Experience 20 seconds or so of microgravity generated by ballistic flight of a KC-135 jet. Scuba training : Extravehicular Activity (EVA) is an MS activity. MSs receive EVA training in a large water pool, wearing a simulated space suit. Scuba training is conducted in preparation for EVA training. Flight training Flight training accounts for a large portion of ASCAN training. ASCANs must take over 100 hours of flight training a year in T-38 jets which accommodate two crew members. A Pilot flies in the front seat and MS candidates communicate with ground controllers or navigate from the back seat. Before starting this flight training, various training courses will be conducted including Hyperbaric (altitude) chamber, Emergency Escape, Parasail, Land and Sea Survival, and Swimming to prepare ASCANs for emergencies. Of course, lectures are included. Space Shuttle system training: This training is composed of Space Shuttle Summary lectures on Shuttle structure or Shuttle characteristics, and Shuttle system instruction on guidance systems, environment control systems, communication systems, and crew systems. Operation procedures or emergency training will also be conducted, and is divided into seven levels. After finishing about one year of this training, the ASCAN will officially be certified as an MS.

PS training

PS training concentrates on acquiring professional knowledge related to experiments of a specific mission, whereas ASCAN training for MSs focuses on professional knowledge related to overall Space Shuttle systems. The PS training includes the following.

Training while waiting for mission assignment

After finishing ASCAN training and being certified as an MS and before being assigned to a specific Shuttle mission, astronauts will receive T-38 jet training, language training, physical strength training, and detailed Shuttle training to maintain and increase their abilities as an astronaut. This waiting period is also a good opportunity to receive Manipulator (Robot Arm) training and special system training including EVA and Rendezvous as well as Space Shuttle Flight Simulation training.

	Manipulator training Japanese astronaut Wakata operated the Shuttle manipulator and recovered Japan's Space Flier Unit (SFU) during STS-72. This manipulator is utilized to deploy and retrieve satellites and to move astronauts on the end of the arm during EVAs. Manipulator training is conducted using a manipulator attached to a life-size Space Shuttle mockup and handling a balloon satellite, or by simulators using computer graphics.
	EVA training Astronaut Doi became the first Japanses to perform an EVA during STS-87. To prepare for this EVA, he trained over 60 hours in a large water pool. During this training, weights are attached to a space suit like the one used in space, and neutral buoyancy is generated by balancing gravity and buoyancy in order to simulate microgravity of space. Although there is still water resistance, this method allows training in an environment similar to that of a real EVA. NASDA's (JAXA's) Tsukuba Space Center has a Weightless Environment Test Building, which is a large water pool. A mockup of the Japanese Experiment Module (Kibo) is submerged in the water, and Kibo design checkout tests are conducted.
	Job Assignment Besides training, astronauts are assigned to ground tasks, called Job Assignments. By utilizing their individual backgrounds, astronauts will evaluate the hardware they will use, and transfer the results to the development personnel, so that better hardware can be developed. The Job Assignments of Japanese astronauts are as follows. Astronaut Mohri: Japanese payloads to be carried on the Space Shuttle and International Space Station (ISS). Astronaut Doi: Astronaut Wakata: Robotics related mainly to a manipulator Astronaut Noguchi: Payload Interfaces of Kibo and ISS

Mission specific Training

Approximately one and a half years after an MS completes ASCAN training, he or she will be assigned to a Shuttle mission. Together with other crew members, he or she will then receive Shuttle common training and mission-specific training

Shuttle common training includes Shuttle system training which is common to all Shuttle missions and emergency escape training. During mission specific training, MSs receive lectures related to payloads and training on manipulation and operation. Joint Integrated Simulation will also be conducted using a simulated time line.