Career

Wakata was born in Ōmiya, Saitama, Japan, earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Aeronautical Engineering in 1987, a Master of Science degree in Applied Mechanics in 1989, and a Doctorate in Aerospace Engineering in 2004 from Kyushu University. He worked as a structural engineer for Japan Airlines.

JAXA career

Wakata was selected by the National Space Development Agency of Japan (NASDA) (now JAXA) as an astronaut candidate in 1992, and trained at NASA's Johnson Space Center. Wakata has held a number of assignments, and during STS-85, Wakata acted as NASDA Assistant Payload Operations Director for the Manipulator Flight Demonstration, a robotic arm experiment for the Japanese Experiment Module of the International Space Station (ISS). In December 2000, he became a NASA robotics instructor astronaut. In July 2006, he served as the commander of the 10th NASA Extreme Environment Mission Operations (NEEMO) mission, a seven-day undersea expedition at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Aquarius laboratory located off the coast of Florida. In August 2006, he started flight engineer training for Russian Soyuz spacecraft in preparation for a long duration stay on the ISS.

Spaceflight experience

Wakata first flew aboard STS-72 in 1996, and then returned to space on STS-92 in 2000. Wakata was stationed at the International Space Station (ISS) and returned to earth aboard Endeavour with the STS-127 crew on July 31, 2009. On Nov 7, 2013 Wataka returned to the ISS aboard Soyuz TMA-11M for a 6-month mission covering Expeditions 38 and 39. He became the ISS commander for the last two months of that mission on Expedition 39.

STS-72

On STS-72, Wakata became the first Japanese Mission Specialist. STS-72 retrieved the Space Flyer Unit (launched from Japan ten months earlier), deployed and retrieved the OAST-Flyer, and evaluated techniques to be used in the assembly of the International Space Station.

During STS-72, Wakata and fellow astronaut Dan Barry became the first people to play the game Go in space. Wakata and Barry used a special Go set, which was named Go Space, designed by Wai-Cheung Willson Chow.

STS-92

Wakata became the first Japanese astronaut to work on the assembly of the International Space Station during STS-92. The crew attached the Z1 truss and Pressurized Mating Adapter (PMA3) to the station using Discovery’s robotic arm. STS-92 prepared the station for its first resident crew.

STS-119

Wakata served as flight engineer on STS-119, which launched to the ISS in March 2009. STS-119 delivered the S6 Truss segment to the ISS. Wakata remained on board the ISS to serve as flight engineer on Expedition 18, while STS-119 undocked and returned to Earth without him.

International Space Station - Expeditions 18, 19, 20

In February 2007, Wakata was assigned as a flight engineer to ISS Expedition 18, scheduled to begin in winter of 2008. He launched with the crew of STS-119 and was the first resident station crew member from the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). He served as Flight Engineer 2 on Expedition 18, Expedition 19 and Expedition 20, before returning home as a Mission Specialist on STS-127.

Wakata was the first Japanese astronaut to take part in a long duration mission on the station.

Wakata is the first person to serve on five different crews without returning to Earth: STS-119, Expedition 18, Expedition 19, Expedition 20 and STS-127.

During his time on the station, he took part in experiments suggested by the public, including flying a "magic carpet", folding laundry and push ups.

As an experiment on the station, he wore the same special underpants for a month without washing them.

STS-127

Wakata returned to Earth in July 2009 aboard Endeavour with the STS-127 crew after being a flight engineer on the station. American and Canadian astronauts aboard STS-127 delivered and installed the final two components of the Japanese Experiment Module: the Exposed Facility (JEM-EF), and the Exposed Section (JEM-ES).

Soyuz TMA-11M

Wakata launched on Soyuz TMA-11M to the International Space Station in November 2013. During Expedition 38 and Expedition 39, Kirobo — who had the mission to serve as a companion robot to the astronaut — worked closely with Wakata by conducting experiments in space through verbal orders from the astronaut. One of the experiments was the first-ever human-robot conversation in space.

Expedition 38

Wakata arrived on the International Space Station as part of Expedition 38, in late 2013.

Expedition 39

Wakata became the commander of the International Space Station with Expedition 39, in March 2014. This marked the first time a Japanese astronaut became station commander, and only the third time an astronaut not Russian or American was station commander. He returned to Earth on May 13, 2014.

Personal information

Wakata is married to Stefanie von Sachsen-Altenburg of Bonn, Germany, and has an 11-year-old son. He is a multi-engine and instrument-rated pilot, and has logged over 2100 hours in a variety of aircraft.

[ Source: Wikipedia ]