Japan’s Suwa to Go on 1st Space Mission around 2027

Tokyo, Jan. 9 (Jiji Press)–Japanese astronaut Makoto Suwa will make a long-term stay at the International Space Station around 2027, marking his first space mission, science minister Yohei Matsumoto told a press conference Friday. Suwa, 49, a former World Bank employee, and former Japanese Red Cross Society doctor Ayu Yoneda, 30, were selected as astronaut candidates in 2023 in the first recruitment for the position by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, or JAXA, in 13 years. They were certified as astronauts in October 2024 after completing basic training. At a press conference in Tokyo on Friday, Suwa said that he was “delighted and honored” to get the opportunity to go to space. “I will carry on the work of my predecessors and then pass the baton to my successor,” he said. A Tokyo native, Suwa studied at the University of Tokyo’s Faculty of Science and completed a graduate program at Princeton University’s Department of Geosciences in June 2007. After working for the World Meteorological Organization, he joined the World Bank in 2014, where he served as senior disaster risk management specialist. Reflecting on his career, Suwa said, “I hope to utilize my experience in international cooperation.” Suwa revealed that he was informed of the decision on his first space mission in December. “I’ll make every day count (until the mission) and enjoy my training,” he said. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]