若田 光一

Koichi Wakata, a recognized leader in the global space community, serves as astronaut and chief technology officer of the Asia-Pacific region at Axiom Space. A veteran astronaut with decades of human spaceflight experience, Wakata leads the expansion of Axiom Space’s business and strategic presence in the Asia-Pacific region and contributes to the advancement of Axiom Station, the world’s first commercial space station.

Wakata contributed to the construction of the modules of the International Space Station (ISS) including the Japanese Experiment Module “Kibo.” He was the first astronaut to serve as JAXA’s ISS program manager and vice president for human space technology. He officially retired from JAXA on March 31, 2024, finishing out his career in the space agency that includes senior management positions for the ISS and lunar exploration programs.

Wakata’s astronaut career includes five space flights, more than any Japanese astronaut, logging 504 days in space on four different spacecraft (Space Shuttle; Soyuz; SpaceX Crew Dragon; the ISS). His ISS space assignments include three long-duration missions, serving as the first Japanese ISS commander, two spacewalks for a total of 14 hours and two minutes, and operations of four robotic systems.

He holds a Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering, a Master of Science in Applied Mechanics and a Bachelor of Science in Aeronautical Engineering from Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan.