UH Alum Akihiko Hoshide onboard SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft
Four astronauts, including UH alum Akihiko Hoshide, took their first steps of a six-month stay in space as they launched on the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft.
Akihiko Hoshide is an astronaut with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency. He has a Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from Keio University in 1992 and a Master of Science in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Houston, Cullen College of Engineering in 1997.
He joined the National Space Development Agency of Japan in 1992. The agency is now the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency. He helped develop the H-II rocket and was an astronaut support engineer, helping to develop the astronaut training program.
He was selected in February 1999 as one of three Japanese astronauts slated to go to the ISS, starting training in April 1999 and being certified in January 2001.
He served as a mission specialist in 2006 for NASA and was selected as a crew member for the STS-124 mission to deliver the Japanese Experiment Module to the ISS in 2007.
From July to November 2012, he spent 124 days as a flight engineer on the ISS.
Biography:
Akihiko Hoshide was born in 1968 in Tokyo, Japan. He received a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from Keio University in 1992, and a Master of Science in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Houston, Cullen College of Engineering in 1997.
Hoshide joined the National Space Development Agency of Japan (NASDA, currently Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) in 1992 and worked as a member of NASDA’s Nagoya office for two year. At the Nagoya office, he was involved in the development of the H-II rocket. From 1994 to 1999, he worked as an astronaut support engineer for the NASDA Astronaut Office, supporting the development of the astronaut training program and the evaluation of crew interfaces designs. He also supported astronaut Koichi Wakata during his training and mission on the STS-72 mission.
In February 1999, Hoshide was selected by NASDA as one of three Japanese astronaut candidates for the International Space Station (ISS), together with Dr. Satoshi Furukawa and Naoko Yamazaki.
Hoshide started NASDA’s Basic Training program in April 1999 and was certified as an astronaut in January 2001. He then participated in ISS Advanced Training, while working on development of the hardware and operation of the Japanese Experiment Module “Kibo” and the H-II Transfer Vehicle (HTV).
In May 2004, Hoshide was certified as a Soyuz-TMA Flight Engineer. He was dispatched to NASA’s Johnson Space Center (JSC) in June 2004. He went through NASA’s Astronaut Candidate Training at JSC for about a year and eight months. After completion of training he was qualified for flight assignments aboard the space shuttle as a Mission Specialist in 2006.
In March 2007, Hoshide was selected as a crew member for the STS-124 (1J) mission, the second of three Kibo assembly-related missions, which delivered the Japanese Experiment Module (JEM) “Kibo” to the International Space Station (ISS).
In June 2008, he flew to the ISS on the STS-124 mission. He installed Kibo’s Pressurized Module (PM) on the ISS using the Space Station Remote Manipulator System (SSRMS). He also operated the SSRMS for relocation of the Experiment Logistics Module-Pressurized Section (ELM-PS). During the mission, he performed Kibo-related activities, such as activations of the PM and Kibo’s robotic arm, the JEM Remote Manipulator System (JEMRMS).
In November 2009, he was assigned as a flight engineer for the ISS Expedition 32/33 mission.
From July to November 2012, he stayed on the ISS for 124 days as a flight engineer for the Expedition 32/33 mission. His mission included experiments in Kibo, ISS maintenance, three times of Extravehicular Activity (EVA), and deployment of CubeSats using the JEM Small Satellite Orbital Deployer (J-SSOD). He also supported few unmanned cargo ships which delivered various cargos to the ISS, including H-II Transfer Vehicle (HTV) “KOUNOTORI3” and Dragon cargo spacecraft (SpX-1). He flew on the Soyuz TMA-05M spacecraft (31S) for both launch and return.
In July 2014, he served as Commander of the 18th NASA Extreme Environment Mission Operations (NEEMO18), an undersea expedition at the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration’s “Aquarius” habitat in Florida, USA.
In March 2018, he was assigned as the Expedition 64/65 Mission crew and Commander of the ISS for Expedition 65 (Second Japanese ISS commander).
He was assigned as the Head of JAXA Astronaut Group from April 2016 (to October 2016).
Accomplishment