Japan Astronaut Wakata to Make Long-Term Stay on Int’L Space Station

Tokyo, Feb. 13 (Jiji Press)–Japanese astronaut Koichi Wakata will stay on the International Space Station for three months from around the autumn of 2008, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) said Tuesday.

Wakata, 43, will become the first Japanese crew member for long- duration ISS flight. JAXA astronaut Soichi Noguchi was named as a backup crew member for Wakata, who will fly to the station on Space Shuttle mission STS-126, the agency said.

The third space flight for Wakata will make him the most traveled Japanese astronaut.

He will work on the installation of the Japanese experiment module Kibo with his U.S. and Russian partners.END

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