Koichi WAKATA

CAREER:                                                                                                                        1989-1992:                                                                                                                     Employed by Japan Airlines (JAL) and trained as a structural engineer; later worked in the Airframe Group, Systems Engineering Office, JAL Engineering Department where he researched the structural integrity of transport aircraft.

NASDA ASTRONAUT ASSIGNMENTS                                                                    1992: (Jun) Selected as an Astronaut Candidate by NASDA; (Aug) Commenced a 1-year NASA astronaut training course as a MS candidate (with NASA Group 14); Ascan training

1993: Ascan training; (Aug) graduated; (Apr 1993-Feb 1995) CB Technical assignment in payload science support (computers), Mission Development Branch

1994: CD technical assignments; (Apr-Oct) SAIL; mission support:  STS-65,86; (12.12) named MS STS-72 (SFU Retrieval/OAST); Shuttle mission training (as primary RMS operator)

1995: Shuttle mission training

1996: (11-20.01) MS STS-72 (SFU Retrieval/OAST) (214 hrs 01 min); (Mar 1996-date) assignment to Space Shuttle and Space Station Robotics, CB Robotics Branch; mission support: STS-80

1996: (Mar – Jul 2006) Space Shuttle and Space Station Robotics for the CB Robotics Branch

1997: (02.06) Named MS STS-92 (ISS-5-3A); Shuttle mission training (primary RMS operator); (Aug) NASDA Assistant Payload Operations Director, Manipulator Flight Demonstration (RMS) planned for JEM and flown on STS-85; mission support: STS-85,87; Shuttle mission training

1998: Shuttle mission training

1999: Shuttle mission training

2000: Shuttle mission training; (11-24.10) flew as MS STS-92 (ISS-5-3A) (309 hrs 43 min)

2000: (Dec to date) NASA robotics instructor astronaut

2000-2003: Space Shuttle and Space Station Robotics, CB Robotics Branch, NASA JSC

2001: (May- Apr 2006) EVA development for the CB EVA Branch; (Oct) commenced ISS long duration training;

2001: ISS long duration training

2002: ISS long duration training; (26.08-06.09) completed ESA ISS training, EAC, Cologne, Germany; ISS long duration training 

2003: ISS long duration training

2004: ISS long duration training

2005: ISS long duration training; (Dec) Commenced training ay TsPK for long duration expedition on ISS of between 3-6 months

2006: ISS long duration training; (Jul)  CDR 10^th NASA Extreme Environment Mission  Operations (NEEMO) a 7 day undersea expedition at the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration Aquarius habitat located off the coast of Florida ; (Aug ) selected as Prime Crew FE ISS-16;Commenced FE training for Soyuz TMA spacecraft; ISS long duration and Soyuz TMA crew training; (    ) removed from ISS-16 crew and reassigned.

2007: ISS resident crew and TMA training; (16-27.01) survival training in Russia;  (13 .02) named FE ISS-18 crew, the first Japanese astronaut assigned to a long duration mission (to be launched and returned on US Shuttle); ISS resident crew training,

2008: ISS-18 resident crew training

2009: ISS-18 resident crew training; (15.03) launched to ISS as MS5 STS-119; (17.03) transferred to ISS-18 crew; 1^st JAXA/Japanese resident crew member; (28.03) transferred to ISS-19 crew;  (17.07) transferred to STS-127 crew (replaced by Kopra):  133 days aboard ISS: (31.07) landed (3303 hrs 05 mins)

SPACEFLIGHT RECORD