油井ゆい亀ひさし美也みやさんらの宇宙船うちゅうせん 国際宇宙こくさいうちゅうステーションにドッキング

The private spacecraft Crew Dragon, carrying Japanese astronaut Kimiya Yui and others, was launched from the United States and successfully docked with the International Space Station on the afternoon of the 2nd, Japan time.

The private spacecraft Crew Dragon, carrying astronaut Kimiya Yui and three others, was launched from Florida, USA, and after about 15 hours, successfully docked with the International Space Station around 3:30 p.m. Japan time on the 2nd.

About one hour and forty-five minutes after docking, the hatch will be opened and Mr. Yui and the others will enter the spacecraft, beginning their approximately six-month long stay.

Takuya Onishi, a fellow astronaut who joined in the same year, has been staying at the International Space Station since March this year. In addition to receiving a handover of duties, a joint press conference is also scheduled.

During the long-term stay, Japans new space transport vehicle, HTV-X, is expected to arrive for the first time, and Mr. Yui is scheduled to use the robotic arm to capture the transport vehicle and attach it to the space station.

The scene of the spacecraft launch [video]: Around 10:00 p.m. on the 1st, Japan time, Kimiya Yui boarded the spacecraft Crew Dragon together with three American and Russian astronauts at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, USA.

The engines of the Falcon 9 rocket carrying the spacecraft ignited, and it was launched toward the International Space Station at 12:43 a.m. on the 2nd.

The spacecraft separated from the rocket into the planned orbit about 10 minutes later, and the launch was successful.

Mr. Yui said during a communication with the ground, Everyone in Japan, Ive returned to space for the first time in ten years.

I want to fulfill my duties properly on the International Space Station, shine like a first-magnitude star, and let people around the world know about the wonderful things Japan has to offer, he said.

Mr. Yui is embarking on his second spaceflight since 2015. After about 15 hours from launch, he will arrive at the International Space Station and begin a long-term stay of approximately six months.

Takuya Onishi, a fellow astronaut who joined in the same year, has been staying at the International Space Station since March this year. In addition to receiving a handover of duties, a joint press conference is also scheduled.

In addition, during the long-term stay, Japans new space transport vehicle HTV-X is expected to arrive for the first time, and Mr. Yui is scheduled to use the robotic arm to capture the transport vehicle and attach it to the space station.

After graduating from the National Defense Academy, he joined the Japan Air Self-Defense Force in 1992, where he served as a pilot and in other roles. In 2009, he was selected as an astronaut candidate from among approximately 1,000 applicants.

After that, he joined JAXA Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, completed training at NASA National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and was officially certified as an astronaut in 2011.

And in 2015, he made his first space flight, spending about five months on the International Space Station conducting scientific experiments and other activities.

From 2016 to 2023, I served as the leader of the JAXA astronaut group.

In an NHK interview this June, he said, Since this might be my last mission, I want to make sure I leave nothing unfinished. I want it to be a mission that gives courage and hope to many people, and leads to the future.

One of the Americans is astronaut Jeanette Epps.

Selected as an astronaut in 2017, this will be my first spaceflight, and I will serve as the commander of the spacecraft.

The other is astronaut Michael Fincke.

He was selected as an astronaut in 1996 and is a veteran who has experienced three spaceflights so far, with a wealth of experience in extravehicular activities.

Russian astronaut Oleg Platonov was selected as a cosmonaut in 2018, and this will be his first spaceflight.

Crewed Dragon is a spacecraft developed by the American private company SpaceX.

It is over 8 meters long and 4 meters in diameter, consisting of a capsule where astronauts board and a trunk that carries equipment and cargo.

The capsule can carry up to seven people, but usually four astronauts are on board.

The capsule named Endeavour is the same spacecraft that Japanese astronaut Akihiko Hoshide boarded in 2021, and this will be its sixth launch.

Launch and docking are basically carried out automatically, and the crew heads to the International Space Station while monitoring the situation on three touch panels.

After launch, the first stage is separated, guided to the landing site, recovered, and reused. Its main feature is that it can be used repeatedly, which reduces the cost per launch.

Since 2010, the Falcon 9 has been launched more than 500 times, and all of its crewed missions carrying astronauts or civilians have been successful.

There have been three failures in the past involving rockets carrying unmanned transport ships or satellites, and in July 2024, there was an abnormality in which liquid oxygen leaked from the second stage of the rocket, resulting in the first failure in about eight years.