JAXA Astronaut Activity Report

Activities of JAXA Astronauts during the STS-123 mission

Astronaut Yamazaki serving as a J-COM in the Kibo Mission Control Room

The STS-123 (1J/A) mission, on which astronaut Takao Doi flew as a crew member, delivered and installed Kibo’s first component, the Experiment Logistics Module-Pressurized Section (ELM-PS), on the International Space Station (ISS). During the mission, other JAXA astronauts supported the STS-123 Mission with various mission-support activities from the ground.

During the launch, astronaut Naoko Yamazaki, who was assigned as a Crew Support Astronaut for astronaut Doi, attended to extended families of astronaut Doi and the other STS-123 crew members, who gathered at NASA Kennedy Space Center (KSC) to see off the departing crew. After the launch, astronaut Yamazaki returned to Japan and served as J-COM on the JAXA Flight Control Team (JFCT) at the Kibo Mission Control Room in Tsukuba Space Center (TKSC). While the mission continued, she held real-time communications with astronaut Doi who was conducting the ELM-PS and Kibo-related tasks aboard the ISS. Thereafter, she flew back to KSC again before the STS-123 Mission crew members returned to Earth and attended to astronaut Doi after his return to KSC.

At NASA Johnson Space Center (JSC) and KSC, astronauts Koichi Wakata, Soichi Noguchi, Satoshi Furukawa and Akihiko Hoshide dealt with the media corps from Japan and other countries, explaining and answering questions on the STS-123 mission, the Kibo Japanese Experiment Module, the next STS-124 (1J) mission, and the future ISS missions. Astronaut Chiaki Mukai participated in the JAXA PAO event as a representative for the JAXA Astronauts. The JAXA PAO event was held by connecting the ISS and the Prime Minister’s Office.

STS-123 (1J/A) mission

EVA training at Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory (NBL)

Astronauts Wakata (right) and Noguchi (left) before the training

Astronaut Wakata participated in the Extra Vehicular Activity (EVA) training at the Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory (NBL) in NASA Johnson Space Center (JSC).

This training was designed for the astronauts assigned to the ISS Expedition 18 to maintain and improve the mission-specific skills of the astronauts who are supposed to conduct space station EVAs during Expedition 18. Astronaut Noguchi, who was assigned as a backup crew member for ISS Expedition 18, observed the training session.

During the ISS expedition, astronauts on board the ISS will need to perform maintenance and assembly tasks outside as well as inside the ISS.

Operation training for experiments with the Microgravity Sciences Glove Box (MSG)

Astronaut Noguchi using the mockup to simulate operation of the MSG

Astronaut Noguchi, who is assigned as a backup crew member for the ISS Expedition 18 participated in the training on experiments to be conducted on ISS at NASA Johnson Space Center (JSC).

He used the mockup for the operation training of the NASA’s fluids experiment, which will be conducted using the Microgravity Science Glove Box (MSG) installed in the Columbus laboratory.

This fluids experiment will investigate the properties of various materials. Results of the experiment are expected to facilitate the development of materials that will be used in future space exploration missions.