Astronaut Kimiya Yui Selected as Member of ISS Expedition Crew

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) would like to announce that Astronaut Kimiya Yui has been selected as a crewmember for the 44th/45th Expedition Mission to the International Space Station (ISS).

Astronaut Yui was selected as an astronaut candidate in February 2009, and then, certified as an ISS astronaut in July 2011 after completion of all basic training requirements.Since then, he has continued to maintain and improve his qualities as an ISS astronaut through various training such as the 16th NASA Extreme Environment Mission Operations (NEEMO 16) conducted at the underwater laboratory in the United States.

For Astronaut Yui, this long duration stay aboard the ISS will be his first space flight.

Period of stay at the ISS:

About 6 months from around June in 2015

Transportation and from to the ISS:

Launch and return by Soyuz spacecraft

Major tasks at the ISS:

During the 44th/45th Expedition Mission, he will be in charge of ISS operations as a flight engineer, and science experiments using the space environment.

Astronaut Yui’s schedule in tha near future:

He will begin training necessary for the Soyuz trip and ISS expedition missions in October 2012.