Satoshi Furukawa facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Satoshi Furukawa
古川 聡 |
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Official portrait, 2004
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| Born | April 4, 1964 |
| Status | Active |
| Nationality | Japanese |
| Occupation | Surgeon |
| Space career | |
| NASDA/JAXA astronaut | |
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Time in space
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366 days, 8 hours and 34 minutes |
| Selection | 1999 NASDA Group |
| Missions | Soyuz TMA-02M (Expedition 28/29), SpaceX Crew-7 (Expedition 69/70) |
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Mission insignia
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Satoshi Furukawa (古川 聡, born April 4, 1964) is a Japanese doctor and astronaut. He works for JAXA, Japan's space agency. Furukawa has traveled to the International Space Station (ISS) twice. He worked as a flight engineer on long missions called Expedition 28/29 in 2011 and Expedition 69/70 from 2023 to 2024.
Contents
Becoming a Doctor
Satoshi Furukawa finished high school in 1983. He then studied at the University of Tokyo. In 1989, he earned his medical degree. He later received a PhD in medical science from the same university in 2000.
From 1989 to 1999, Furukawa worked as a surgeon. He worked in different hospitals, including the University of Tokyo Hospital. He also worked in anesthesiology, which is about giving medicine to stop pain during surgery.
Joining the Space Program
In February 1999, Japan's space agency, NASDA, chose Furukawa. He was one of three people to train as astronauts for the International Space Station (ISS). He started his basic astronaut training in April 1999. By January 2001, he was officially an astronaut.
After that, he continued with advanced training for the ISS. He also helped develop and operate Kibō. This is Japan's special laboratory module on the ISS.
On October 1, 2003, NASDA joined with two other space groups. They became one new agency called JAXA.
In May 2004, Furukawa completed training in Russia. He learned to be a flight engineer for the Soyuz-TMA spacecraft.
In June 2004, he went to the Johnson Space Center in the United States. By February 2006, he finished NASA's astronaut training. This training included learning about space shuttle and ISS systems. He also learned to fly a T-38 jet and practiced survival skills. This prepared him for different jobs at NASA and for flying on space missions.
Underwater and Underground Training
In August 2007, Furukawa became an aquanaut. He lived underwater in a special lab called Aquarius. This was part of the NEEMO 13 project. It helped astronauts practice living and working in extreme places.
In 2013, Furukawa trained as a cavenaut. He explored caves in Sardinia, Italy, as part of the ESA CAVES program. This training helps astronauts prepare for missions to other planets. They learn to work in dark, isolated, and challenging environments.
Space Missions
Furukawa's first space mission was to the International Space Station. He was a flight engineer for Expedition 28 and 29. He launched aboard the Soyuz TMA-02M spacecraft on June 7, 2011. He traveled with two other crew members, Sergey Volkov and Michael Fossum.
After living and working on the ISS, they returned to Earth. The Soyuz spacecraft landed safely in Kazakhstan on November 22, 2011.
In 2023, Furukawa went to space again. He was a mission specialist for Expedition 69 and 70. He launched on the Crew-7 mission aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft. The launch happened on August 26, 2023, from Florida. He returned to Earth on March 12, 2024, after another long stay on the ISS.
About His Life
Satoshi Furukawa was born in Yokohama, Japan. He enjoys playing baseball and bowling. He also likes music and traveling. He is married and has two children.
See also
In Spanish: Satoshi Furukawa para niños
