Due to a lack of young astronauts, Japan selected two candidates to participate in the Moon mission, a doctor and a banker, from 4,100 applications nationwide.
According to Bloombergthe Japanese government chose a doctor and a banker working domestically for a group of astronauts on the first space mission in more than a decade. This is an important step for Japan, bringing the country into the space race alongside the United States and China…
Billionaire Yusaku Maezawa attends the astronaut training program in Moscow, Russia.
Billionaire Yusaku Maezawa takes part in the space travel training program in Moscow, Russia. (Photo: AP).
Ayu Yoneda (28 years old)doctor at the Tokyo Red Cross Medical Center and Makoto Suwa (46 people)long-time employees of the World Bank’s Global Fund for Disaster Reduction and Recovery, are the two lucky ones elected to be part of the team. Bloomberg said the Japan Space Agency (JAXA) selected them from 4,100 applications submitted starting in April 2022.
Ayu Yoneda will also be the third female astronaut in Japan to participate in the space flight training program. Currently, all 6 JAXA astronauts are men.
This special selection of astronauts helped JĄXA solve an important problem:There is a shortage of young astronauts. Indeed, this space agency currently only has 6 active astronauts and their average age is 52 years old.
In 2022, JĄXA also predicts that the number of members will only be 2 by 2030 because 4 of them will reach the retirement age of 60. Meanwhile, the average age of U.S. astronauts is 34, NASA said.
Ayu Yoneda (left) and Makoto Suwa (right) are the selected astronauts.
Ayu Yoneda (left) and Makoto Suwa (right) are the selected astronauts. (Photo: KYODO).
“The journey ahead will certainly not be easy. But if possible, I want to set foot on the moon one day. »Doctor Ayu Yoneda told the press on February 28.
The future astronaut shared that she was very surprised and proud to have been chosen from 4,100 applications. “I feel responsible and I take on an important task.”she said at the event.
She dreamed of becoming an astronaut when she read a comic book about Japan’s first astronaut, Chiaki Mukai. Yoneda wants to study the effects of space travel on human health. “The era is approaching when all members of our family will travel into space. »she shared.
Banking specialist Makoto Suwa also expressed his excitement to the point of not being able to sleep. He was born and raised in Tsukuba, home to many JAXA research institutes and operations. As an expert in the field of paleoclimatology (ancient climates), Suwa hopes to learn more about climate change on Mars after this trip.
“Learning more about the Moon and Mars not only helps us learn more about these planets, but also about Earth.”he said.
According to PhysicalYoneda and Suwa will train under a two-year program and if successful, they will participate in the International Space Station (ISS) mission and become the first Japanese astronauts to set foot there.
In 2021, JAXA raised registration standards for astronauts, requiring them to hold advanced science certificates or certain engineering degrees. What’s surprising is that many recent applications also include salespeople and consultants.
President Hiroshi Yamakawa hopes to hold a new recruitment round in the next five years to find young astronauts, bringing space science programs closer to the public. “The responsibility of the astronaut will not change, but it will increase. Therefore, we will continue to accept applications from different audiences.Mr. Yamakawa said.
In May 2022, Japan and the United States announced that they would work together on NASA’s Artemis program aimed at sending Japanese astronauts to the Moon by the end of this decade.
Article source: Zing
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Due to a lack of young astronauts, Japan recently selected two candidates for the Moon mission: one doctor and one banker out of 4,100…
