Astronauts Preparing for Space Operations

Photos of astronauts in training and preparation for missions, featuring spacesuits and equipment in various stages of readiness.

. iss068e035487 (Dec. 29, 2022) - Expedition 68 Flight Engineer Koichi Wakata of the Japan Aerospace Exploration (JAXA) works on cooling loops that are part of the Extravehicular Mobility Units, or spacesuits, that astronauts wear when working in the vacuum of space outside the International Space Station.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In the White Room on Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, STS-124 Mission Specialist Akihiko Hoshide adjusts his parachute required for launch. Hoshide represents the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency. Behind him is Mission Specialist Karen Nyberg. They and the other crew members are taking part in a simulated launch countdown, part of the launch dress rehearsal known as the terminal countdown demonstration test. The simulation serves as a practice exercise in which both the launch team and flight crew rehearse launch day time lines and procedures. The test culminates in a simulated ignition and automated shutdown of the orbiter's main engines. On the STS-124 mission, the crew will deliver and install the Japanese Experiment Module - Pressurized Module and Japanese Remote Manipulator System. Discovery's launch is targeted for May 31.

JSC2008-E-044815 (4 June 2008) --- Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Soichi Noguchi, Expedition 22/23 flight engineer, awaits the start of a training session in the waters of the Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory (NBL) near NASA's Johnson Space Center. Noguchi is wearing a training version of his Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) spacesuit.

. iss068e035487 (Dec. 29, 2022) - Expedition 68 Flight Engineer Koichi Wakata of the Japan Aerospace Exploration (JAXA) works on cooling loops that are part of the Extravehicular Mobility Units, or spacesuits, that astronauts wear when working in the vacuum of space outside the International Space Station.

ISS038-E-031961 (12 Jan. 2014) --- Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Koichi Wakata, Expedition 38 flight engineer, is pictured near the windows in the International Space Station's Cupola as the Orbital Sciences Corp. Cygnus commercial cargo craft (visible at center) approaches the station.

ISS018-E-040996 (18 March 2009) --- Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Koichi Wakata, Expedition 18 flight engineer, attired in his Russian Sokol launch and entry suit, tries out his seat liner in the Soyuz TMA-13 spacecraft docked to the International Space Station while Space Shuttle Discovery (STS-119) remains docked with the station.

ISS028-E-012405 (30 June 2011) --- Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Satoshi Furukawa, Expedition 28 flight engineer, is pictured near the Microgravity Science Glovebox (MSG) located in the Destiny laboratory of the International Space Station.

. iss068e021206 (Nov. 9, 2022) --- Expedition 68 Flight Engineer Koichi Wakata of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) works inside the International Space Station's Kibo laboratory module connecting cables and reconfiguring sensors on the Cell Biology Experiment Facility, a research incubator with an artificial gravity generator.

. iss069e085467 (Sept. 1, 2023) --- Expedition 69 Flight Engineer and JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Satoshi Furukawa removes experiment hardware from inside the Multi-use Variable-g Platform, a biology research device that can generate artificial gravity inside the International Space Station's Kibo laboratory module.

. iss068e024849_alt (Nov. 28, 2022) - Koichi Wakata of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) installs the Osteogenic Cells experiment. This experiment looks at whether bone loss in microgravity is restricted to a particular osteogenic or bone-forming cell type. This research tests the hypothesis that the underlying process results in decreased bone formation rather than increased loss of existing bone.

. iss068e018996 (Oct. 24, 2022) --- Expedition 68 Flight Engineer Koichi Wakata of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) gives a "thumbs up" after powering on the Zvezda service module's ham radio aboard the International Space Station. Credit: JAXA/Koichi Wakata

S123-E-007808 (20 March 2008) --- Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Takao Doi, STS-123 mission specialist, is pictured near the galley on the middeck of Space Shuttle Endeavour while docked with the International Space Station.

ISS033-E-018402 (1 Nov. 2012) --- Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Aki Hoshide, Expedition 33 flight engineer, is pictured in the Quest airlock of the International Space Station as he prepares for the start of a session of extravehicular activity (EVA) outside the International Space Station on Nov. 1, 2012. Hoshide is wearing an Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) spacesuit.

ISS038-E-042747 (5 Feb. 2014) --- Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Koichi Wakata, Expedition 38 flight engineer, works on the Combustion Integrated Rack (CIR) in the Destiny laboratory of the International Space Station. This research rack, which includes an optics bench, combustion chamber, fuel and oxidizer control and five different cameras, allows a variety of combustion experiments to be performed safely aboard the station.

ISS038-E-045631 (10 Feb. 2014) --- Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Koichi Wakata, Expedition 38 flight engineer, works with the Synchronized Position, Hold, Engage, Reorient, Experimental Satellites-Resonant Inductive Near-field Generation System (SPHERES-RINGS) experiment gear in the Kibo laboratory of the International Space Station.

99-E-14658 (6-7 October 1999) --- Astronaut Edward T. Lu, mission specialist for STS-106, egresses a training version of the extravehicular mobility unit (EMU) space suit at the Hydrolab facility in Star City, Russia. Lu's two-day training session marked only the second time that the EMUhas been used in exercises in the Russian underwater lab.

ISS032-E-020818 (20 Aug. 2012) --- Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Aki Hoshide, Expedition 32 flight engineer, wearing a communication headset, works in the Zarya Functional Cargo Block (FGB) of the International Space Station.

S124-E-005419 (1 June 2008) --- Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Akihiko Hoshide, STS-124 mission specialist, smiles for a photo while in the hatch which connects the flight deck and middeck of Space Shuttle Discovery.

ISS039-E-013554 (20 April 2014) --- It almost appears that Expedition 39 Commander Koichi Wakata has spotted the SpaceX Dragon approaching and has turned to announce to his crewmates on the International Space Station, "Supplies are coming, supplies are coming!" The Dragon spacecraft can be seen as a small dot in lower left of a Cupola window. This is one of an extensive series of still photos documenting the April 20 arrival and ultimate capture and berthing of the Dragon at the International Space Station, as photographed by the Expedition 39 crew members onboard the orbital outpost. Soon after the photo was made, the Dragon spacecraft was captured by the space station and successfully berthed using the Canadian-built space station remote manipulator system or Canadarm2.

ISS019-E-017920 (19 May 2009) --- Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Koichi Wakata, Expedition 19/20 flight engineer, works controls at the stations Canadarm2 robotic arm in the Destiny laboratory of the International Space Station.

S132-E-010055 (23 May 2010) --- Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Soichi Noguchi, Expedition 23 flight engineer, holds a taco in the Unity node of the International Space Station while space shuttle Atlantis (STS-132) remains docked with the station.

iss064e020149 (Jan. 5, 2021) --- JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Soichi Noguchi works inside the Kibo laboratory module servicing a science freezer that stores and preserves biological samples for later analysis.

iss065e110749 (June 14, 2021) --- Expedition 65 Commander Akihiko Hoshide of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) is pictured inside the cupola, the International Space Station's "window to the world," during Earth photography activities.

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ISS022-E-014691 (25 Dec. 2009) --- Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Soichi Noguchi, Expedition 22 flight engineer, takes a break from housekeeping chores to pose for a photo near a window in the Kibo laboratory of the International Space Station.

ISS020-E-012819 (22 June 2009) --- Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Koichi Wakata, Expedition 20 flight engineer, performs in-flight maintenance on the Oxygen Generator System (OGS) in the Destiny laboratory of the International Space Station.

S123-E-006371 (15 March 2008) --- Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Takao Doi, STS-123 mission specialist, prepares to eat a meal at the galley on the middeck of Space Shuttle Endeavour while docked with the International Space Station.

S114-E-6022 (1 August 2005) --- Astronaut Soichi Noguchi, representing the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), attired in his Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) space suit on the middeck of the Space Shuttle Discovery, prepares for the scheduled seven-hour space walk with fellow STS-114 mission specialist, astronaut Stephen K. Robinson (out of frame).

ISS010-E-18956 (23 November 2004) --- Astronaut Leroy Chiao, Expedition 10 commander and NASA ISS science officer, poses for a photo near an Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) spacesuit in the Unity node on the International Space Station (ISS).

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In the Operations and Checkout Building at NASAs Kennedy Space Center, Return to Flight STS-114 Mission Specialist Soichi Noguchi checks the fit of his launch and entry suit and helmet. This is Noguchis first Shuttle flight. He represents the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). There are two days to the launch of Space Shuttle Discovery scheduled for 3 51 p.m. July 13. This launch is the 114th Space Shuttle flight and is scheduled to last about 12 days with a planned KSC landing at about 11 06 a.m. EDT on July 25.

ISS038-E-030425 (13 Jan. 2014) --- Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Koichi Wakata, Expedition 38 flight engineer, poses for a photo at a window in the Cupola of the International Space Station while the Canadarm2 robotic arm's Latching End Effector (LEE) appears to be looking through the window from outside the station.

ISS010-E-20762 (21 March 2005) --- Astronaut Leroy Chiao, Expedition 10 commander and NASA ISS science officer, works with a Global Positioning System (GPS) Unit in the Zvezda Service Module of the International Space Station (ISS).

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- STS-120 Mission Specialist Daniel Tani is fully suited and ready to take part in a simulated launch countdown, part of the prelaunch terminal countdown demonstration test, or TCDT. His name patch reflects the nicknames the crew gave each other for the event. The TCDT provides astronauts and ground crews an opportunity to participate in various launch preparation activities, including equipment familiarization, emergency training and the simulated countdown. The STS-120 mission will deliver the U.S. Node 2 module, named Harmony, aboard space shuttle Discovery to the International Space Station. Launch of Discovery on mission STS-120 is targeted for Oct. 23 at 11:38 a.m. EDT on a 14-day mission.

ISS032-E-026490 (12 Sept. 2012) --- Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Aki Hoshide, Expedition 32 flight engineer, is pictured after placing three JAXA H-II Transfer Vehicle (HTV) insignias on the Harmony nodes hatchway prior to the undocking of the HTV-3 from the International Space Station.

. iss068e040899 (Jan. 19, 2023) - Expedition 68 Flight Engineer Koichi Wakata of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) configures spacewalking hardware inside the International Space Station's Quest airlock.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - As part of pre-pack and fit check for Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test (TCDT) activities, STS-114 Mission Specialist Soichi Noguchi tries on his launch suit. The TCDT is held at KSC prior to each Space Shuttle flight. It provides the crew of each mission an opportunity to participate in simulated countdown activities. The test ends with a mock launch countdown culminating in a simulated main engine cutoff. The crew also spends time undergoing emergency egress training exercises at the launch pad. STS-114 is the first Return to Flight mission to the International Space Station. The launch window extends July 13 through July 31.

. iss068e040062 (Jan. 12, 2023) - Expedition 68 Flight Engineer Koichi Wakata of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) is pictured during a fit check of his Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU), or spacesuit, ahead of a planned spacewalk to upgrade the International Space Station's power generation system.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - With a member of the Closeout Crew following behind, STS-114 Mission Specialist Soichi Noguchi heads for the White Room on Launch Pad 39B, where he will complete adjustments to his launch suit before entering Space Shuttle Discovery. Noguchi is with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency. The crew is taking part in a full dress rehearsal for launch, including countdown and culminating in main engine cutoff. The rehearsal is the final part of Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test (TCDT) activities that the crew has been involved in for three days. TCDT provides the crew of each mission an opportunity to participate in various simulated countdown activities, including equipment familiarization and emergency egress training. STS-114 is the first Return to Flight mission to the International Space Station. The launch window extends July 13 through July 31.

ISS039-E-008095 (1 April 2014) --- Expedition 39 Commander Koichi Wakata, representing the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), seems very elated that three new members of the crew have brought up food and supplies, especially fresh fruit, as depicted in this photo -- among the first sets of imagery documented with all six Expedition 39 crew members onboard the International Space Station. Wakata is in the orbiting outpost's Cupola module.

ISS020-E-011096 (16 June 2009) --- Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Koichi Wakata, Expedition 20 flight engineer, uses a microphone near a window in the Kibo laboratory of the International Space Station.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- STS-123 Mission Specialist Takao Doi suits up for the launch dress rehearsal, culmination of the terminal countdown demonstration test, or TCDT. Doi represents the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, or JAXA. The TCDT provides astronauts and ground crews with an opportunity to participate in various simulated countdown activities, including equipment familiarization and emergency training. Space shuttle Endeavour is targeted to launch March 11 at 2:28 a.m. EDT on the 16-day STS-123 mission to the International Space Station. Endeavour and its crew will deliver the first section of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's Kibo laboratory and the Canadian Space Agency's two-armed robotic system, Dextre.

Expedition 44/45 crew training with NASA Astronaut Kjell Lindgren and JAXA Astronaut Kimiya Yui during INC 44 ISS EVA Maintenance 2 with IV Scott Kelly. Photo Date: December 6, 2013. Location: NBL - Pool Topside.

STS114-E-5240 (27 July 2005) --- JAXA astronaut Soichi Noguchi, STS-114 mission specialist, on Discovery's mid deck.

JSC2007-E-18063 (9 April 2007) --- Astronaut Daniel M. Tani, Expedition 16 flight engineer, dons a training version of his shuttle launch and entry suit in preparation for a training session in the Space Vehicle Mockup Facility at the Johnson Space Center. Tani is scheduled to join Expedition 16 as flight engineer after launching to the International Space Station on mission STS-120 and is scheduled to return home on mission STS-122. United Space Alliance suit technician Ryan Carabaja assisted Tani.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - In the Operations and Checkout Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, STS-119 Mission Specialist Koichi Wakata is happy to be suiting up for the launch of space shuttle Discovery. The crew will be heading for Launch Pad 39A and liftoff of Discovery, scheduled for 7:43 p.m. EDT on March 15. An earlier launch attempt March 11 was scrubbed at 2:36 p.m. due to a gaseous hydrogen leak from the external tank at the Ground Umbilical Carrier Plate during tanking. A seven-inch quick disconnect and two seals were replaced. The STS-119 mission is the 28th to the International Space Station and the 125th space shuttle flight. Discovery will deliver the final pair of power-generating solar array wings and the S6 truss segment. Installation of S6 will signal the station's readiness to house a six-member crew for conducting increased science.

Expedition 33 crew members Sunita Williams and Aki Hoshide during NBL EVA training. Photo Date: January 11, 2012. Location: NBL - Pool Topside.

iss064e044320 (March 18, 2021) --- JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut and Expedition 64 Flight Engineer Soichi Noguchi is pictured in the International Space Station's Kibo laboratory module displaying plants grown for the Asian Herbs in Space space study.

Expedition 10 Commander Leroy Chiao takes questions from the press after a pre-dawn landing in the Soyuz TMA-5 capsule Monday, April 25, 2005 northeast of the town of Arkalyk, Kazakhstan. Chiao and Expedition 10 Flight Engineer Salizhan Sharipov wrapped up a six-month mission aboard the International Space Station, while European Space Agency astronaut Roberto Vittori completed a ten-day mission aboard the ISS under a commercial contract between ESA and the Russian Federal Space Agency.

ISS020-E-011129 (19 June 2009) --- Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Koichi Wakata, Expedition 20 flight engineer, is pictured near a can of food floating freely in the Zvezda Service Module of the International Space Station.

iss064e004854 (Nov. 18, 2020) --- SpaceX Crew-1 Mission Specialist and Expedition 64 Flight Engineer Soichi Noguchi of JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) is pictured inside the International Space Station's "window to the world," the seven-windowed cupola.

S127-E-009756 (28 July 2009) --- Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Koichi Wakata, STS-127 mission specialist, is pictured near a lithium hydroxide (LiOH) canister floating freely on the middeck of Space Shuttle Endeavour during flight day 14 activities.

STS98-E-5071 (10 February 2001) --- Astronauts Mark L. Polansky, STS-98 pilot, and Kenneth D. Cockrell (partially visible at right), mission commander, shave their faces on the mid deck of the Space Shuttle Atlantis. The scene was recorded with a digital still camera.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- STS-114 Mission Specialist Soichi Noguchi, with the National Space Development Agency of Japan (NASDA), works with equipment as Mission Specialist Stephen K. Robinson, Ph.D., (right) watches. The STS-114 crew is participating in familiarization activities with the hardware that will fly on the mission. STS-114 is a utilization and logistics flight (ULF-1) that will carry Multi-Purpose Logistics Module Raffaello and the External Stowage Platform (ESP-2), as well as the Expedition 7 crew, to the International Space Station. Launch is targeted for March 1, 2003.

In the Operations and Checkout Building, STS-99 Mission Specialist Mamoru Mohri (Ph.D.), who is with the National Space Development Agency (NASDA) of Japan, waves as he waits for final suitup preparations before launch. Liftoff of STS-99, known as the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission, is scheduled for 12:47 p.m. EST from Launch Pad 39A. The SRTM will chart a new course to produce unrivaled 3-D images of the Earth's surface, using two antennae and a 200-foot-long section of space station-derived mast protruding from the payload bay. The result of the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission could be close to 1 trillion measurements of the Earth's topography. Besides contributing to the production of better maps, these measurements could lead to improved water drainage modeling, more realistic flight simulators, better locations for cell phone towers, and enhanced navigation safety. The mission is expected to last about 11days, with Endeavour landing at KSC Friday, Feb. 11, at 4:55 p.m. EST

. iss069e085914 (Sept. 4, 2023) --- JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut and Expedition 69 Flight Engineer Satoshi Furukawa swaps samples inside the Materials Science Laboratory located in the International Space Station's Destiny laboratory module.

ISS018-E-043487 (25 March 2009) --- Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Koichi Wakata, Expedition 18 flight engineer, uses a communication system during a press conference in the Kibo laboratory of the International Space Station.

STS-84 Mission Specialist Edward Tsang Lu gives a 'thumbs up' as he dons his launch and entry suit during final prelaunch preparations in the Operations and Checkout Building. This will be Lus first space flight. Lu and six other crew members will depart shortly for Launch Pad 39A, where the Space Shuttle Atlantis awaits liftoff on a mission to dock with the Russian Space Station Mir.

. iss068e023651 (Nov. 23, 2022) --- Expedition 68 Flight Engineer Koichi Wakata of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) poses for a portrait aboard the International Space Station's Harmony module.

S127-E-008067 (23 July 2009)--- Inside Kibo or the Japanese Experiment Module (JEM), astronaut Mark Polansky (left), STS-127 commander, shakes hands with Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Koichi Wakata, who has been onboard the International Space Station for a tour of duty as flight engineer but will be returning to Earth with Polansky and the rest of the STS-127 crew next week.

JSC2010-E-185687 (9 Nov. 2010) --- Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Satoshi Furukawa, Expedition 26 backup crew member, attired in a Russian Sokol launch and entry suit, takes a break from training in Star City, Russia to pose for a portrait.

ISS023-E-041838 (16 May 2010) --- Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Soichi Noguchi, Expedition 23 flight engineer, is pictured near fresh tomatoes floating freely in the Unity node of the International Space Station while space shuttle Atlantis (STS-132) remains docked with the station.

S95-12711 (May 1995) --- Astronaut Leroy Chiao, assigned as mission specialist for the STS-72 mission, prepares to ascend stairs to the flight deck of the fixed base Shuttle Mission Simulator (SMS) at the Johnson Space Center (JSC). Chiao will join an international mission specialist and four other NASA astronauts aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour for a scheduled nine-day mission, now set for the winter of this year.

STS113-360-030 (26 November 2002) --- Astronaut Michael E. Lopez-Alegria, STS-113 mission specialist, attired in his Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) spacesuit, is pictured in the Quest Airlock on the International Space Station (ISS). Lopez-Alegria was about to begin the first of three scheduled STS-113 spacewalks to perform work on the station. In cooperation with the rest of the shuttle and station crewmembers, Lopez-Alegria and John B. Herrington went on to complete a smooth spacewalk to hook up connections between the Port One (P1) truss and the rest of the station.

STS087-317-033 (19 November - 5 December 1997) --- Astronaut Takao Doi, mission specialist, prepares for one of two extravehicular activities (EVA) in the Airlock Module of the Earth-orbiting Space Shuttle Columbia. Takao Doi, an international astronaut stationed at Johnson Space Center (JSC), represents Japan's National Space Development Agency (NASDA). This view was taken with a 35mm camera.

ISS018-E-046317 (4 April 2009) --- Cosmonaut Gennady Padalka (center), Expedition 19 commander; NASA astronaut Michael Barratt (right), Expedition 19 flight engineer; and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Koichi Wakata, Expedition 18/19 flight engineer, are pictured in the Zvezda Service Module of the International Space Station while communicating with ground controllers.

STS099-330-036 (11-22 February 2000) ---Astronaut Mamoru Mohri, mission specialist, on the aft flight deck of the Space Shuttle Endeavour, checks a data checklist for the STS-99 mission. Mohri represents Japans National Space Development Agency (NASDA).

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In the white room on Launch Pad 39A, STS-120 Mission Specialist Daniel Tani (foreground) is helped with his launch suit preparations before entering space shuttle Discovery for a simulated launch countdown. In the background is Mission Specialist Doug Wheelock. The countdown is the culmination of the prelaunch terminal countdown demonstration test, or TCDT. The TCDT at NASA's Kennedy Space Center provides astronauts and ground crews an opportunity to participate in various launch preparation activities, including equipment familiarization and emergency training. The STS-120 mission will deliver the U.S. Node 2 module, named Harmony, aboard space shuttle Discovery to the International Space Station. Discovery is targeted to launch on its 14-day mission at 11:38 a.m. EDT on Oct. 23.

STS087-375-009 (19 November - 5 December 1997) --- Astronaut Takao Doi, mission specialist, during one of two extravehicular activities (EVA) in the cargo bay of the Earth-orbiting Space Shuttle Columbia, waves at fellow crewmembers in Columbias cabin. Takao Doi, an international astronaut stationed at Johnson Space Center (JSC), represents Japan's National Space Development Agency (NASDA). This view was taken with a 35mm camera.

Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan -- Building 254, Soyuz Integration Facility. Cosmonaut Yuri I. Malenchenko (right), Expedition Seven commander, and astronaut Edward T. Lu, NASA ISS science officer and flight engineer for Expedition Seven, pause for a photograph on the Soyuz stand after the Soyuz inspection, seat liner check. Veteran Russian cosmonaut Yuri Malenchenko and veteran NASA astronaut Ed Lu were named as the primary crew for the planned April 26, 2003, launch of a Russian Soyuz TMA-2 spacecraft to the International Space Station. Russian cosmonaut Alexander Kaleri and NASA astronaut Michael Foale are the backup crewmembers to Malenchenko and Lu. Expedition 6 Commander Ken Bowersox, Flight Engineer Nikolai Budarin and NASA Space Station Science Officer Don Pettit will return to Earth aboard the Soyuz TMA-1 craft in May 2003. The three Expedition 6 crewmembers were launched on Nov. 23, 2002. They have been aboard the Station since November 25. They were originally scheduled to

ISS029-E-028518 (18 Oct. 2011) --- Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Satoshi Furukawa, Expedition 29 flight engineer, works on the Commercial Generic Bioprocessing Apparatus 5 / Science Insert-05 (CGBA-5/CSI-5) experiment in the Columbus laboratory of the International Space Station.

S84-36141 (20 June 1984) --- Astronaut Taylor E. Wang, payload specialist.

iss064e040776 (March 10, 2021) --- JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Soichi Noguchi is pictured inside the Kibo laboratory module's airlock. Experiments and microsatellites, or CubeSats, are staged inside the airlock for deployment into the external environment of space. The airlock is then closed and depressurized before the Japanese robotic arm grapples the experiments and installs them on an external science platform outside Kibo. The CubeSats are ejected into Earth orbit from a small satellite deployer gripped at the end of the Japanese robotic arm.

ISS010-E-06019 (6 November 2004) --- Astronaut Leroy Chiao (left), Expedition 10 commander and NASA ISS science officer, and cosmonaut Salizhan S. Sharipov, flight engineer representing Russia's Federal Space Agency, add their crew;s patch to the Unity node;s growing collection of insignias representing crews who have worked on the International Space Station (ISS).

S86-25964 (31 Jan. 1978) --- Astronaut Ellison S. Onizuka. Photo credit: NASA (NOTE: Astronaut Onizuka lost his life in the Jan. 28, 1986, STS-51L space shuttle Challenger accident, along with six other crew members.)

STS095-E-5211 (4 Nov. 1998) --- STS-95 payload specialist Chiaki Mukai, representing Japan's National Space Development Agency (NASDA), with paraphernalia supporting her agenda of experiments onboard Discovery. The photo was taken with an electronic still camera (ESC) at01:17:27 GMT, Nov. 4.

iss070e015767 (Oct. 30, 2023) --- JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut and Expedition 70 Flight Engineer Satoshi Furukawa poses for a portrait next to the Cell Biology Experiment Facility Incubator Unit inside the International Space Station's Kibo laboratory module.

Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Soichi Noguchi speaks to members of the media after arriving from Houston at the Launch and Landing Facility at NASAs Kennedy Space Center with NASA astronauts Shannon Walker, Victor Glover, and Mike Hopkins ahead of SpaceXs Crew-1 mission, Sunday, Nov. 8, 2020, in Florida. NASAs SpaceX Crew-1 mission is the first operational mission of the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket to the International Space Station as part of the agencys Commercial Crew Program. Hopkins, Glover, Walker, and Noguchi are scheduled to launch at 7:49 p.m. EST on Saturday, Nov. 14, from Launch Complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center.

STS-87 Mission Specialist Takao Doi , Ph.D., of the National Space Development Agency of Japan, participates in the Crew Equipment Integration Test (CEIT) in Kennedy Space Centers (KSC's) Vertical Processing Facility. Glenda Laws, the extravehicular activity (EVA) coordinator, Johnson Space Center, stands behind Dr. Doi. The CEIT gives astronauts an opportunity to get a hands-on look at the payloads with which they will be working on-orbit. STS-87 will be the fourth United States Microgravity Payload and flight of the Spartan-201 deployable satellite. During the mission, Dr. Doi will be the first Japanese astronaut to perform a spacewalk. STS-87 is scheduled for a Nov. 19 liftoff from KSC

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Following the successful landing of space shuttle Discovery at NASA's Kennedy Space Center to end the 14-day, STS-124 mission, the crew sits for a press conference. Mission Specialist Akihiko Hoshide tells the media about his joy at entering the Japanese Pressurized Module after installation. Hoshide represents the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, or JAXA. The STS-124 mission delivered the JAXA Module and its remote manipulator system to the International Space Station. The landing was on time at 11:15 a.m. EDT.

JAXA astronaut Satoshi Furukawa. iss069e082580 (August 27, 2023) -- JAXA astronaut and Crew-7 Mission Specialist, Satoshi Furukawa, smiles for a photo while holding a welcome message from the Expedition 69 crew, following Crew-7's arrival to the International Space Station.

ISS028-E-015793 (10 July 2011) --- Japan Exploration Aerospace Agency astronaut Satoshi Furukawa, Expedition 28 flight engineer, has picked out a window on the Zvezda service module from which to view and photograph the space shuttle Atlantis, which can appears here as a relatively tiny object during rendezvous operations on July 12, 2011.

In the Space Station Processing Facility, astronaut Takao Doi (left) and Commander Dominic Gorie pose in front of the Experiment Logistics Module Pressurized Section for the Japanese Experiment Module, or JEM, that recently arrived at Kennedy. Doi and Gorie are crew members for mission STS-123 that will deliver the logistics module to the International Space Station. Earlier, NASA and Japanese Aerospace and Exploration Agency (JAXA) officials welcomed the arrival of the module. The new International Space Station component arrived at Kennedy March 12 to begin preparations for its future launch on mission STS-123. It will serve as an on-orbit storage area for materials, tools and supplies. It can hold up to eight experiment racks and will attach to the top of another larger pressurized module.

In preparation for Space Shuttle Mission STS-87, the crew arrives at the Kennedy Space Center Shuttle Landing Facility to participate in the Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test (TCDT) for their mission. The TCDT is a dress rehearsal for launch. STS-87 will be the fourth flight of the United States Microgravity Payload and the Spartan-201 deployable satellite. Launch is targeted for Nov. 19

STS095-E-5037 (10-29-98) --- Holding a notebook filled with Flight Day 1 activity, payload specialist Chiaki Mukai gives an "all okay" signal. The photograph was taken with an electronic still camera (ESC) at 10:04:30 GMT, Oct. 29.

Expedition 54 flight engineer Norishige Kanai of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) performs the traditional door signing at the Cosmonaut Hotel prior to departing the hotel for launch on a Soyuz rocket with fellow cremates flight engineer Norishige Kanai of Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and flight engineer Scott Tingle of NASA, Sunday, Dec. 17, 2017 in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. Kanai, Shkaplerov, and Tingle will launch in their Soyuz MS-07 to the International Space Station to begin a five month mission.

As STS-87 Commander Kevin Kregel looks on, Mission Specialist Takao Doi, Ph.D., of the National Space Development Agency of Japan addresses members of the press and media at Kennedy Space Center's Shuttle Landing Facility after arriving for the final prelaunch activities leading up to the scheduled Nov. 19 liftoff. Other STS-87 crew members not pictured are Pilot Steven Lindsey; Mission Specialists Kalpana Chawla, Ph.D., and Winston Scott; and Payload Specialist Leonid Kadenyuk of the National Space Agency of Ukraine. STS-87 will be the fourth flight of the United States Microgravity Payload and the Spartan-201 deployable satellite.

As STS-87 Commander Kevin Kregel looks on, Mission Specialist Takao Doi, Ph.D., of the National Space Development Agency of Japan addresses members of the press and media at Kennedy Space Center's Shuttle Landing Facility after arriving for the final prelaunch activities leading up to the scheduled Nov. 19 liftoff. Other STS-87 crew members not pictured are Pilot Steven Lindsey; Mission Specialists Kalpana Chawla, Ph.D., and Winston Scott; and Payload Specialist Leonid Kadenyuk of the National Space Agency of Ukraine. STS-87 will be the fourth flight of the United States Microgravity Payload and the Spartan-201 deployable satellite

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- STS-123 Mission Specialist Takao Doi, of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, addresses the news media on hand for his arrival at NASA Kennedy Space Center's Shuttle Landing Facility. The crew for space shuttle Endeavour's STS-123 mission is at Kennedy for a full launch dress rehearsal, known as the terminal countdown demonstration test or TCDT. Endeavour's seven astronauts arrived at Kennedy's Shuttle Landing Facility in their T-38 training aircraft between 10:45 and 10:58 a.m. EST. The terminal countdown demonstration test provides astronauts and ground crews with an opportunity to participate in various simulated countdown activities, including equipment familiarization and emergency training. Endeavour is targeted to launch March 11 at 2:28 a.m. EDT on a 16-day mission to the International Space Station. On the mission, Endeavour and its crew will deliver the first section of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's Kibo laboratory and the Canad

jsc2017e129519 (Jan. 18, 2017) --- Astronaut and Expedition 54-55 Flight Engineer Norishige Kanai of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- STS-124 Mission Specialist Akihiko Hoshide looks over space shuttle Discovery in the Orbiter Processing Facility bay 2 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center. Members of the crew are at Kennedy for a crew equipment interface test. Hoshide represents the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, called JAXA. On the mission, Discovery will transport the Kibo Japanese Experiment Module - Pressurized Module (JEM-PM) and the Japanese Remote Manipulator System (JEM-RMS) to the International Space Station to complete the Kibo laboratory. The launch of Discovery is targeted for April 24.

JSC2005-E-40330 (1 October 2005) --- Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Soichi Noguchi discusses his flight on the mission that returned the Space Shuttle to flight earlier this year with members of the public in Tokyo, Japan, on Oct. 1. Noguchi and the rest of the crew of Discovery for STS-114 visited Japan as guests of JAXA and participated in a variety of public events.

In the Integration Facility at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, Expedition 38/39 Flight Engineer Koichi Wakata of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency conducts a fit check dress rehearsal October 28 inside the Soyuz TMA-11M spacecraft. Wakata, Soyuz Commander Mikhail Tyurin and Flight Engineer Rick Mastracchio of NASA will launch Nov. 7, Kazakh time, in the Soyuz from Baikonur to begin a six-month mission on the International Space Station.NASA/Victor Zelentsov

STS072-321-019 (11-20 Jan. 1996) --- Astronaut Koichi Wakata takes advantage of the microgravity environment on the middeck of the Earth-orbiting Space Shuttle Endeavour. Representing Japan's National Space Development Agency (NASDA), Wakata joined five other astronauts for a week and a half of activity aboard Endeavour. Astronaut Leroy Chiao works in the background.

Charles Schulz Memorial Library. View of unidentified individual in cockpit area (02834 thru 02835); and View of unidentified individuals in cockpit area (02836).

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. -- The day before the expected launch of STS-99, Mission Specialist Mamoru Mohri (right) enjoys a reunion with his wife, Akiko, near Launch Pad 39A. STS-99, known as the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM), is scheduled to lift off 12:47 p.m. EST from Launch Pad 39A. The SRTM will chart a new course to produce unrivaled 3-D images of the Earth's surface, using two antennae and a 200-foot-long section of space station-derived mast protruding from the payload bay. The result of the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission could be close to 1 trillion measurements of the Earth's topography. Besides contributing to the production of better maps, these measurements could lead to improved water drainage modeling, more realistic flight simulators, better locations for cell phone towers, and enhanced navigation safety. The mission is expected to last about 11days, with Endeavour landing at KSC Friday, Feb. 11, at 4:55 p.m

Expedition 10 Commander Leroy Chiao receives flowers upon arrival in Kustanay, Kazakhstan, Monday, April 25, 2005. Chiao, Flight Engineer Salizhan Sharipov and European Space Agency astronaut Roberto Vittori brought their Soyuz TMA-5 capsule to a pre-dawn landing April 25 northeast of the town of Arkalyk to wrap up a six-month mission aboard the International Space Station for Chiao and Sharipov, and a ten-day mission for Vittori, who flew under a commercial contract between ESA and the Russian Federal Space Agency.

ISS028-E-046354 (13 Sept. 2011) --- Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Satoshi Furukawa, Expedition 28 flight engineer, holds an eye chart in the Destiny laboratory of the International Space Station.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- After a welcoming ceremony for the Experiment Logistics Module Pressurized Section of the Japanese Experiment Module, astronaut Takao Doi (right) talks with Kumiko Tanabe, a public affairs representative of the Japanese Aerospace and Exploration Agency. The logistics module will be delivered to the space station on mission STS-123. Doi is a crew member on that mission.The module will serve as an on-orbit storage area for materials, tools and supplies. It can hold up to eight experiment racks and will attach to the top of another larger pressurized module.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the Space Station Processing Facility, Japanese astronaut Koichi Wakata looks over the Pressurized Module, or PM, part of the Japanese Experiment Module (JEM). The PM provides a shirt-sleeve environment in which astronauts on the International Space Station can conduct microgravity experiments. There are a total of 23 racks, including 10 experiment racks, inside the PM providing a power supply, communications, air conditioning, hardware cooling, water control and experiment support functions.

During suitup in the Operations and Checkout Building, STS-92 Mission Specialist Koichi Wakata of Japan signals thumbs up for a second launch attempt. During the 11-day mission to the International Space Station, four extravehicular activities (EVAs), or spacewalks, are planned for construction. The payload includes the Integrated Truss Structure Z-1 and the third Pressurized Mating Adapter. The Z-1 truss is the first of 10 that will become the backbone of the Space Station, eventually stretching the length of a football field. PMA-3 will provide a Shuttle docking port for solar array installation on the sixth Station flight and Lab installation on the seventh Station flight.; Launch is scheduled for 7:17 p.m. EDT. Landing is expected Oct. 22 at 2:10 p.m. EDT

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - STS-114 Mission Specialist Soichi Noguchi arrives at NASAs Kennedy Space Center aboard a T-38 jet training aircraft. Noguchi is with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency. He and other crew members are taking part in the Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test (TCDT) over the next three days. The TCDT is held at KSC prior to each Space Shuttle flight. It provides the crew of each mission an opportunity to participate in simulated countdown activities. The test ends with a mock launch countdown culminating in a simulated main engine cutoff. The crew also spends time undergoing emergency egress training exercises at the launch pad. This is Noguchis first space flight. STS-114 is the first Return to Flight mission to the International Space Station. The launch window extends July 13 through July 31.

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