October 7, 2022 (JST)

Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)

 JAXA Astronaut WAKATA Koichi who arrived at the International Space Station (ISS) by the Crew Dragon Spacecraft (Crew-5), has begun his long-duration stay as the 68^th and 69^th expedition crew member. Docking to the ISS and Opening Hatch schedules are as follows:

Today, the Crew Dragon Spacecraft (Crew-5) successfully docked with the International Space Station (ISS) at 6:01 (JST), and Astronaut WAKATA Koichi has started a long-duration stay at the ISS.

During his long-duration mission, Astronaut WAKATA Koichi will work with the ground operations team and astronaut crews from overseas under the mission theme of, "Dream, Spirit of Inquiry and Consideration," and carry out various missions ranging from scientific research using the microgravity environment to technological demonstrations for future lunar exploration as well as space experiments proposed by students both from Japan and from overseas that contributes to the Sustainable Development Goals.

This will be Astronaut WAKATA Koichi's fifth space flight, the highest number of space flight in Japan. I expect him to make the most of his experience and achieve excellent results in a variety of fields.

I would like to extend my gratitude to NASA, other relevant national and international organizations, as well as to the public, for your cooperation and support. Your continuous support would be highly appreciated.