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DOI Takao

Ph.D. in Engineering
Former JAXA astronaut
First Japanese astronaut to take part in Extravehicular Activities (EVAs) in 1997

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Background

DOI Takao was born in 1954 in Tokyo. In 1997, he boarded the Space Shuttle Columbia and became the first Japanese astronaut to take part in Extravehicular Activities. In 2008, he participated in the STS-123 mission aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavor, helping to attach Kibo’s internal storage room to the International Space Station (ISS), and becoming the first Japanese astronaut to enter Japan’s first manned space facility.

JAXA Astronaut Doi
DOI
Takao
1954

Born in Tokyo, Japan.

1978

Received a Bachelor of Engineering in Aeronautics from the University of Tokyo. Received a Master of Engineering in 1980, and in 1983, completed a Doctor of Philosophy in Aerospace Engineering, also at the University of Tokyo. Received a Doctor of Philosophy in Astronomy from Rice University in 2004.

March, 1985

Completed study of space propulsion systems at the Institute of Space and Astronautical Science (ISAS).

May-October, 1985

Worked for the NASA Lewis Research Center as a National Research Council research associate.

August, 1985

Selected alongside Mamoru Mohri and Chiaki Mukai by the National Space Development Agency of Japan (NASDA, currently Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) as one of three Payload Specialists for the First Material Processing Test (FMPT), which flew on the STS-47 (Spacelab J) mission.

November, 1985

Joined the National Space Development Agency of Japan (NASDA, currently Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) as one of three Payload Specialists for the First Material Processing Test (FMPT), which flew on the STS-47 (Spacelab J) mission.

May 1987-December 1988

Studied microgravity fluid dynamics at the Center for Atmospheric Theory and Analysis, University of Colorado.

April, 1990

Assigned as a backup Payload Specialist for the First Material Processing Test (FMPT) and commenced training, mainly at NASA facilities.

September, 1992

Supported the First Material Processing Test (FMPT)/STS-47 mission as a backup Payload Specialist at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC).

July, 1994

Supported the International Microgravity Laboratory (IML-2) and mission STS-65 from the ground at MSFC as a Mission Scientist and a collaborative researcher on experiments regarding the influence of g-jitter on natural convection and diffusive transport.

March, 1995

Commenced training as a Mission Specialist for NASA.

May, 1996

Qualified as a Mission Specialist with NASA and NASDA.
Went on to commence Mission Specialist training with NASA to further improve qualities as an astronaut.

November, 1997

Flew aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia on the STS-87 mission.
During 16 days on the mission, tested a space crane, tools, and techniques being developed for assembly of the International Space Station (ISS), and manually captured a solar observation satellite beyond the initial scope of the mission, becoming the first Japanese astronaut to perform Extravehicular Activities (EVAs) and logging 12 hours and 43 minutes of spacewalk time.

©JAXA/NASA
From October, 2001

Participated in ISS Advanced Training for a long duration mission aboard the ISS.

2004

Completed Doctor of Philosophy in Astronomy at Rice University.

May, 2006

Assigned as a crew member for the STS-123 (1J/A) mission.

March, 2008

Flew aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour with mission STS-123.
Attached the Experiment Logistics Module-Pressurized Section (ELM-PS) of Kibo to the ISS using the Space Station Remote Manipulator System (SSRMS), becoming the first Japanese astronaut to enter the first Japanese ISS module in orbit, prepared the Experiment Logistics Module-Pressurized Section (ELM-PS) and orchestrated transfer activities between the Space Shuttle and ISS as the mission's load master.

©NASA
September, 2009-March, 2016

Served as D/1, Chief, Space Applications Section (SAS), United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA).

April, 2016

Appointed professor in the Unit of Synergetic Studies for Space at Kyoto University.

July, 2020

Appointed Program-Specific Professor at the Graduate School of Advanced Integrated Studies in Human Survivability, Kyoto University.

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