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FURUKAWA Satoshi

M.D., Ph.D. in Medical Science
Astronaut Group, Astronaut

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Currently engaged in mission as crew member of long-duration ISS expedition.

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Background

FURUKAWA Satoshi (M.D., Ph.D. in Medical Science) was born in 1964 in Kanagawa. He spent 165 days aboard the International Space Station (ISS) in 2011 as a Flight Engineer with Expeditions 28 and 29. In addition to conducting experiments on Kibo and performing maintenance on the ISS, he also supported the final mission of the Space Shuttle, STS-135. Since August 2023, he has been on a long-term stay aboard the International Space Station (ISS), which is scheduled for around six months.

FURUKAWA
Satoshi
1964

Born in Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan.

1989

Graduated as a Doctor of Medicine from the University of Tokyo. In 2000, received Doctor of Philosophy in Medical Science, also from the University of Tokyo.

1989-1999

Worked in the former First Department of Surgery, The University of Tokyo Hospital and related hospitals, and engaged in clinical medicine and research of gastrointestinal surgery.

February, 1999

Selected as one of three Japanese astronaut candidates to work on the ISS by the National Space Development Agency of Japan (NASDA, currently Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) alongside Akihiko Hoshide and Naoko Yamazaki.

From April, 1999

Commenced NASDA's Basic Training program.

January, 2001

Certified as an astronaut.

From April, 2001

Participated in ISS Advanced Training.
Supported the development of the hardware and operations of Kibo, the Japanese Experiment Module of the International Space Station (ISS).

May, 2004

Certified as a Soyuz-TMA flight engineer.
In June, dispatched to NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC), going through NASA's Astronaut Candidate training for roughly 20 months and commencing training as a Mission Specialist candidate with NASA.

February, 2006

Qualified as a Mission Specialist with NASA.

August, 2007

Participated in the 13th NASA Extreme Environment Mission Operations (NEEMO) mission, an undersea expedition at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Aquarius habitat.

May, 2008

Assigned as a back-up crew member for ISS Expeditions 22 and 23 (known at the time as Expedition 20).

December, 2008

Assigned as a flight engineer for ISS Expeditions 28 and 29.

June-November, 2011

Spent 165 days aboard the ISS as a flight engineer with Expeditions 28 and 29.
During this stay, conducted experiments with Kibo and performed maintenance on the ISS, and supported the final Space Shuttle mission, STS-135.
Flew aboard the Soyuz TMA-02M spacecraft (27S) for both launch and return to Earth.

©JAXA/NASA
From April, 2014-March, 2021

Appointed head of JAXA’s Space Biomedical Research Group, promoting research in the field of space medicine.

November, 2020

Assigned for another long-duration mission aboard the ISS, scheduled for 2023.

August, 2023

Currently aboard the ISS as a flight engineer for Expeditions 69 and 70.

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