JAXA Astronaut Activity Report

Astronaut Candidate Mr. Kanai

Astronaut candidate Kanai expressing his hopes at the opening ceremony of the training program

On September 8, 2009, JAXA officially announced that Mr. Norishige Kanai has been selected as another astronaut candidate for a future expedition mission aboard the International Space Station (ISS).

Following JAXA's official announcement, astronaut candidate Kanai participated in a press conference. During the press conference, Mr. Kanai, who has a background as a medical doctor, expressed his hopes, saying, "I want to contribute something to the field of space medicine. My goal is to become an astronaut with a specialty, whose fellow astronauts can count on for his specific training, saying 'You should ask Astronaut Kanai about this field'. "

Mr. Kanai traveled to the United States soon after the opening ceremony of the basic training program held at JAXA's Tsukuba Space Center. In the US, he will participate in NASA's astronaut candidate (ASCAN) training for about 2 years, along with the other astronaut candidates, Mr. Yui and Mr. Onishi. He will officially be certified as a JAXA astronaut upon completion of the training.

Joint Training of the ISS Expedition Crew and STS-131 Mission Crew

Astronauts Noguchi (left) and Yamazaki (center) checking equipment to be used during an emergency on board the ISS

ISS Expedition 22/23 crew member Astronaut Noguchi and STS-131 mission crew member Astronaut Yamazaki participated in ISS crew emergency training, along with the rest of the Expedition 22/23 and STS-131 crews.

Astronaut Yamazaki will fly to the ISS on the STS-131 mission, while Astronaut Noguchi is to stay aboard the ISS as an ISS flight engineer. Both astronauts will work together while there.

ISS Expedition crew and STS-131 mission crew during joint training

During the training session, the participants reviewed the procedures of response and evacuation, simulating that there were a fire and/or a leak of ammonia in the ISS cabin. In such cases, the space shuttle crew members would evacuate to the shuttle, and ISS expedition crew members to the Soyuz TMA spacecraft for safety. During the emergency drills, Astronaut Noguchi took a role in reporting the status of the emergency to both crews, while communicating with the ground controllers. Astronaut Yamazaki evacuated to the shuttle, and practiced closing the hatch between the space shuttle and the ISS, collaborating with STS-131 mission fellow crew member Astronaut Stephanie Wilson. The participants also reviewed how to wear a gas mask in the event of an ammonia leak on board the ISS.

ISS Expedition Operations Training at ESA

Astronaut Noguchi participating in a training session on ESA's WEAR

Astronaut Noguchi participating in a training session on an ESA experiment

Expedition 22/23 crew member Astronaut Noguchi participated in a training session related to ESA's Columbus module at the European Astronaut Centre of the European Space Agency (ESA) in Germany.

During training on the Biolab, he learned the initial setting of the Temperature Control Units (TCUs) that are used to keep samples of the experiments at appropriate temperatures, and how to replace filters of the BioGlovebox. During training on the Fluid Science Laboratory (FSL), he learned how to install the CSA's Microgravity Vibration Isolation Mount (MIM) on the FSL, and how to operate the Video Management Unit (VMU) to process images of experiments.

Astronaut Noguchi also participated in training sessions on ESA experiments, including the WAICO experiment that aims to study the impact of gravity on the growth of plant roots. He learned the purpose and summary of the experiments and reviewed procedures that ISS crew members will perform to support the experiment. He also received training on operations of the 3D-Space experiment, which is designed to investigate the effects of exposure to microgravity on the mental representation of spatial cues. Furthermore, he leaned the operations of the Wearable Augmented Reality (WEAR), a head-mounted device equipped with a computer. WEAR has a display that shows work procedures to an ISS crew member wearing the WEAR device. It is intended to improve efficiency of crew tasks by enabling crew members to work without holding instruction manuals in their hands. This was Astronaut Noguchi's last training session at ESA before his flight to the ISS.

Training for the STS-131 Mission

Astronaut Yamazaki boarding a small life raft pulled out of her flight suit, in the pool of the NBL

Astronaut Yamazaki, along with other STS-131 crew members, participated in training for the STS-131 mission at NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC).

During training, Astronaut Yamazaki took part in water survival training at the Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory (NBL).

Astronaut Yamazaki during the emergency evacuation training

The purpose of this training is to familiarize astronauts with the evacuation procedures and how to use the survival kits equipped in the Advanced Crew Escape Suit (ACES; orange flight suit) in the event of an emergency during launch and landing of the space shuttle.

Astronaut Yamazaki also participated in a training session on how to respond to an emergency that may occur after the space shuttle has landed, using the space shuttle mockup. The astronauts simulated emergency egress through the side hatch by using the Emergency Egress Slide (EES). They also learned how to escape through the Aft Flight Deck overhead window by sliding down a rope, in the event that the shuttle's hatch cannot be opened.

EVA Training at the Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory (NBL)

Astronaut Hoshide donning a spacesuit for underwater training

Astronaut Furukawa donning a spacesuit for underwater training

Astronauts Furukawa and Hoshide participated in a training session for maintaining and enhancing their EVA skills at the Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory (NBL) at NASA's JSC.

Using the ISS mockup built underwater in the pool of the NBL, astronauts can conduct EVA training under an environment similar to that of actual EVAs, taking advantage of the buoyancy of water.

Serving as the HTV CAPCOM

Astronaut Hoshide as a CAPCOM

Astronaut Hoshide served as a CAPCOM (Capsule Communicator) at NASA's Mission Control Center (MCC) in Houston during robotics operations related to the HTV-1 Mission. He was on-console while the H-II Transfer Vehicle (HTV) was berthed to the Harmony with the Space Station Remote Manipulator System (SSRMS), while the HTV's Exposed Pallet (EP) was transferred from the HTV's Unpressurized Logistics Carrier (ULC) to Kibo's Exposed Facility (EF) with the SSRMS and Kibo's Remote Manipulator System (JEMRMS), and while two exposed payloads carried on the EP were transferred from the EP to the EF with the JEMRMS.

In addition to serving as a CAPCOM, Astronaut Hoshide provided technical support for the operations of the JEMRMS as a representative of the Astronaut Office while the exposed payloads were removed from the EP and installed on the EF.

Astronaut Hoshide monitored the berthing of the HTV with the Harmony at the MCC and expressed his joy, saying, "Even though it was the first time that the station's robotic arm grappled an unmanned, free drifting spacecraft, the berthing operations were flawless and well-organized thanks to great collaboration between staff from Japan, the United States and Canada, and multinational crew members aboard the ISS. The HTV demonstrated Japan's leading-edge technology to our international partners."