Chiaki Mukai facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Chiaki Mukai
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| Born | May 6, 1952 Tatebayashi, Gunma Prefecture, Japan
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| Status | Retired |
| Occupation | Physician |
| Space career | |
| NASDA/JAXA astronaut | |
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Time in space
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23d 15h 39m |
| Selection | 1985 NASDA Group |
| Missions | STS-65, STS-95 |
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Mission insignia
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Chiaki Mukai (向井 千秋, Mukai Chiaki, born May 6, 1952) is a famous Japanese physician and astronaut. She made history as the first Japanese woman to travel into space. She was also the first Japanese person to fly on two space missions. Plus, she was the first Asian woman to go to space!
Her first trip was on the Space Shuttle Columbia in July 1994. This mission, called STS-65, involved a special laboratory in space. Her second space journey was on the Space Shuttle Discovery in 1998, known as STS-95. In total, Dr. Mukai has spent about 23 days orbiting Earth.
Dr. Mukai was chosen to be an astronaut by Japan's space agency, NASDA (now called JAXA), in 1985. Before becoming an astronaut, she worked as a heart surgeon at Keio University, a very old university in Japan. Later, in 2015, she became a Vice President at the Tokyo University of Science. She also became a special advisor for JAXA.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Chiaki Mukai was born in Tatebayashi, a city in Gunma Prefecture, Japan. She finished high school in Tokyo in 1971. She then studied medicine at Keio University and became a doctor in 1977. She also earned another degree in physiology from the same university in 1988. In 1989, she became a certified heart surgeon.
Dr. Mukai is part of several important medical and aerospace groups. These include the American Aerospace Medical Association and the Japan Society of Microgravity Applications.
Medical Career Highlights
Before becoming an astronaut, Dr. Mukai worked in many hospitals. She was a resident doctor in general surgery at Keio University Hospital from 1977 to 1978. She also worked in emergency surgery and cardiovascular surgery at different hospitals.
She became an assistant professor in cardiovascular surgery at Keio University. Dr. Mukai has also written about 60 scientific papers since 1979. These papers have been reviewed by other experts in her field.
Becoming an Astronaut
In 1985, Chiaki Mukai was chosen as one of three Japanese candidates to be a Payload Specialist. This role involves managing scientific experiments during space missions. She was chosen for a mission called the First Material Processing Test (Spacelab-J). She also trained as a backup for another mission, Neurolab (STS-90).
Dr. Mukai has spent more than 566 hours in space. She flew on the STS-65 mission in 1994 and the STS-95 mission in 1998. She holds the record as the first Japanese woman in space and the first Japanese person to fly twice.
As a NASDA astronaut, she also worked as a visiting scientist at NASA Johnson Space Center from 1987 to 1988. She has also been a research instructor at the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas, since 1992. From 1992 to 1998, she was a visiting associate professor at Keio University. Later, in 1999, she became a visiting professor there.
On October 1, 2003, Japan's space agencies, NASDA, ISAS, and NAL, combined to form the new Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). Dr. Mukai also helped coordinate science operations for the STS-107 mission as a deputy mission scientist. In 2009, she was a visiting lecturer at the International Space University.
STS-65: Her First Space Mission
STS-65 was a mission on the Space Shuttle Columbia from July 8 to 23, 1994. It was the second International Microgravity Laboratory (IML-2) flight. The crew performed 82 different experiments. These experiments looked at how space affects living things, like human bodies, plants, and how materials behave in microgravity (very low gravity).
The mission also focused on medical experiments related to the heart, nervous system, bones, and muscles. The shuttle orbited Earth 236 times, traveling over 6.1 million miles. The mission lasted 353 hours and 55 minutes.
STS-95: Her Second Space Mission
STS-95 was a nine-day mission on the Space Shuttle Discovery, from October 29 to November 7, 1998. During this mission, the crew worked on many research projects. They launched a special spacecraft to observe the sun and tested a platform for the Hubble Space Telescope. They also studied how space flight affects the aging process.
The mission completed 134 orbits around Earth. The shuttle traveled 3.6 million miles in 213 hours and 44 minutes.
After Returning from Space
After her space missions, Dr. Mukai continued to work in space science. She was a visiting professor at the International Space University (ISU) from 2004 to 2007. From 2007 to 2012, she worked for JAXA. She was the director of the Space Biomedical Research Office, focusing on human space technology.
From 2011 to 2015, Dr. Mukai was a senior advisor to the JAXA Executive Director. In July 2012, she also became the director of the JAXA Center for Applied Space Medicine and Human Research (J-CASMHR).
In March 2015, Dr. Mukai became the vice president of the Tokyo University of Science. She also continued to be a technical counselor for JAXA. Since June 2015, she has been a director at Fujitsu Limited. She also became a corporate executive fellow at Kao Corporation in January 2016.
Awards and Special Recognitions
Dr. Mukai has received many awards and honors for her amazing work:
- Legion of Honour: Chevalier – from the French government (2015)
- Dream's Award – The Soroptimist Japan Foundation (2013)
- Joe Kerwin Award – Aerospace Medical Association (2013)
- Outstanding Service Award – The Society of Japanese Women Scientists (1996)
- Special Congressional Recognition – U.S. Congress (1995)
- The De La Vaux Medal – The Federation Aeronautique Internationale (1995)
- Prime Minister's Special Citation for Contributions to Gender Equality (1995)
- Prime Minister's Special Citation (1994)
- Minister of State for Science and Technology's Commendation (1994 & 1992)
- Honorary Citizen of Tatebayashi City (1994)
- Prince of Asturias Award for International Cooperation (1999)
Personal Life
Chiaki Mukai is married to Makio Mukai, who is also a doctor. She enjoys many hobbies in her free time. These include snow skiing, competitive Alpine skiing, bass fishing, and scuba diving. She also likes playing tennis and golf, photography, reading American literature, and traveling.
See also
In Spanish: Chiaki Mukai para niños
