Naoko Yamazaki facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Naoko Yamazaki
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| Born | December 27, 1970 Matsudo, Chiba, Japan
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| Status | Retired |
| Nationality | Japanese |
| Occupation | Engineer, Researcher |
| Space career | |
| NASDA/JAXA astronaut | |
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Time in space
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15 days, 2 hours, 47 minutes |
| Selection | 1999 NASDA Group |
| Missions | STS-131 |
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Mission insignia
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| Retirement | August 31, 2011 |
Naoko Yamazaki (山崎 直子, Yamazaki Naoko, born December 27, 1970) is a Japanese engineer and a former astronaut. She worked for JAXA, Japan's space agency. She was the second Japanese woman to travel into space. The first was Chiaki Mukai.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Naoko Yamazaki was born Naoko Sumino in Matsudo, Japan. She spent some of her childhood in Sapporo. After finishing high school in 1989, she went to the University of Tokyo. She earned a degree in Aerospace Engineering in 1993. Later, in 1996, she received her master's degree in the same field.
Becoming an Astronaut
Yamazaki joined the National Space Development Agency of Japan (NASDA) in 1996. This agency is now known as JAXA. She helped develop the Japanese Experiment Module (JEM) for the ISS.
In February 1999, Yamazaki was chosen as an astronaut candidate. She started her basic astronaut training in April 1999. By September 2001, she was officially certified as an astronaut. She then continued with advanced training for the ISS. In 2004, she completed training to be a flight engineer for the Soyuz spacecraft in Russia.
Training with NASA
In June 2004, Yamazaki moved to the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. Here, she joined NASA's astronaut training program. She was assigned to the Robotics Branch, which deals with robotic arms in space. In 2006, she was selected as a NASA mission specialist.
In November 2008, JAXA announced that Yamazaki would fly into space. She would be the second Japanese woman to do so. Her mission, STS-131, launched on April 5, 2010. She flew on the Space Shuttle Discovery. When the Space Shuttle program ended in 2011, she became the last Japanese astronaut to fly on a Space Shuttle.
On April 5, 2010, Yamazaki began her journey into space. She returned to Earth on April 20, 2010. She spent a total of 15 days, 2 hours, and 47 minutes in space.
Yamazaki retired from JAXA on August 31, 2011.
After Space Missions
After her space journey, Naoko Yamazaki continued her studies and research at the University of Tokyo.
Since 2011, she has been active in promoting STEM activities. STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. She is also a member of the Japanese government's Space Policy Committee.
In July 2018, Yamazaki helped start the Space Port Japan Association. This group works to open spaceports in Japan. They work with companies, groups, and the government. She also advises the Young Astronaut Club and leads the Women in Aerospace program for the Japan Rocket Society.
Personal Life
Naoko Yamazaki was married to Taichi Yamazaki. They have two children. She enjoys activities like scuba diving, snow skiing, flying, and music.
In 2007, she even voiced herself in an episode of the anime show Rocket Girls.
See also
