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Another Japanese astronaut has flown into space. It is hoped that Japan will promote international cooperation in space by taking advantage of its excellent human resources and advanced technology.
A spacecraft carrying four astronauts from Japan, the United States and Russia, including Takuya Onishi of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), has been launched from the U.S. state of Florida. They will stay on the International Space Station (ISS) for six months to conduct experiments such as for the development of semiconductor materials.
This is Onishi’s first space flight since 2016. He has also overseen control work on the ground for communication with the ISS. With the latest launch, he will return to the ISS where he will serve as the station’s commander. He is the third Japanese astronaut to serve in the role, following Koichi Wakata and Akihiko Hoshide.
In spite of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, the ISS has managed just barely to sustain an international system of cooperation that embraces both the United States and Russia. There is no small significance in a Japanese commander uniting U.S. and Russian astronauts to run the ISS.
The ISS, whose construction began in the 1990s, is aging and is scheduled to cease operations in 2030. After that, private companies will take the lead in constructing a new commercial space station.
It is important for Japan to steadily send astronauts to the ISS to gain experience in space before private sector leadership takes over. Veteran astronauts such as Wakata and Soichi Noguchi have already retired from JAXA, so it will be key to make use of human resources in the next generation, such as Onishi.
After ISS operations end, space development will shift to a focus on exploring the lunar surface. Japan is participating in the U.S.-led Artemis mission, a manned lunar exploration program that is set to land the first Japanese astronaut on the moon as early as 2028.
Besides Onishi, young astronauts such as Ayu Yoneda and Makoto Suwa, who were officially certified as astronauts last year, are expected to be strong candidates for the mission.
However, with the inauguration of U.S. President Donald Trump, uncertainty has grown around the mission.
With Elon Musk, the founder of U.S. company SpaceX, having been put in charge of cutting government employees, staff at the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration are reportedly quitting their jobs one after another. Since Musk is aiming for a manned exploration program on Mars, there are concerns that the ISS and the lunar exploration program could be given lower priority.
However, it is not realistic to aim to conduct the highly challenging mission of a manned exploration to Mars in one leap without going through a lunar exploration. It is essential to accumulate technology and knowledge through activities on the ISS and the lunar surface.
The Japanese government should steadily pursue space development through active participation in international projects, while keeping a close eye on the turmoil in the United States.
