Monday, November 16 – Tuesday, November 17, 2020
Science and Technology


The Crew Dragon spacecraft operated by a private US firm was launched successfully on November 16, Japan Standard Time (JST). The Crew Dragon capsule named “Resilience” carrying a crew including Japanese astronaut Noguchi Soichi docked with the International Space Station (ISS) at around 1 PM JST and the crew safely entered the ISS at past 3 PM.
 
Astronaut Noguchi is assigned to a long-duration mission aboard the ISS for the next six months. The Japanese astronaut is expected to carry out combustion experiments on the assumption of manned stays at the ISS in the future, and life science experiments involving iPS cells, or induced pluripotent stem cells.
 
In a press conference following a Cabinet meeting, MEXT Minister Hagiuda Koichi said he hopes Noguchi will take on various missions on board the ISS, and disseminate the significance of space development in a way that is clearly visible by Japan and the global community. The minister said he hopes the mission will contribute towards advancing the future of our nation’s space development.
 
*Link to Statement by MEXT Minister on the Crew Dragon’s successful launch carrying astronaut Noguchi Soichi
https://www.mext.go.jp/en/news/topics/detail/mext_00036.html

 
*Special site on astronaut Noguchi Soichi’s mission
https://astro-mission.jaxa.jp/noguchi/




 

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