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Japanese Astronaut Soichi Noguchi In First Space Flight
Washington (AFP) Jul 08, 2005 Japanese astronaut Soichi Noguchi will make his first ever space flight when the US Space Shuttle Discovery makes its scheduled launch Wednesday. The 12-hour mission is significant, representing a resumption of US space flights nearly 30 months after the Columbia burst into flames as it re-entered Earth's atmosphere in February 2004. Traveling in the seven-strong team of astronauts, Noguchi is due to make three space walks lasting some 20 hours with teammate Stephen Robinson, to carry out some key operations. The two will test repair techniques of the space ship's thermal shield while it is in orbit, and will replace a broken gyroscope on the International Space Station. Noguchi, 40, will be the sixth Japanese astronaut ever to go into space. Already treated like a celebrity in Japan, Noguchi found himself the object of more than 70 journalists' attention as they sought to interview him in early April at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. The media crowd returned in force in May to Kennedy Space Station at Cape Canaveral, Florida, when the Discovery team had to return for another launch attempt. Trained as an aeronautical engineer, with a degree from the University of Tokyo, Noguchi found his passion for space when he was 16, as he watched the launch of the first space shuttle, on April 12, 1981. "At that time I think I set my goal as a future profession to be an astronaut," Noguchi recently told reporters, adding that his father, an engineer with Toshiba, had greatly encouraged him. "He talked to me about a lot of small things, like fixing the (household) power and fixing the bike and all the way up to what's coming in new technologies," the astronaut added. Before NASA selected him in 1996, Noguchi worked five years for Japanese group Ishikawajima-Harima Heavy Industries in aerodynamics. He lives in Houston with his wife and three daughters, two of whom were born in the United States. At 1.80 meters (5 feet, 11 inches) and of athletic build, Noguchi played American football for two years at the University of Tokyo. He is also reputed to have a great sense of humor and to be an accomplished karaoke singer. And he has found his niche in the NASA family. Noguchi says he is confident that the US space agency has put its organizational problems behind it - it was partly held responsible for the Columbia tragedy by an inquiry into the disaster. "We are confident this return to flight is going to be successful," Noguchi added. "All the engineers are speaking up and all the manager are listening to what the engineers are saying. I think it's a great change." Related Links SpaceDaily Search SpaceDaily Subscribe To SpaceDaily Express
Shuttle Mission's Success Crucial To US Space Exploration
Washington (AFP) Jul 06, 2005The success of next week's space shuttle launch is crucial to the future of US space exploration, more than two years after the Columbia disaster grounded manned flights. |
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