Naoko Yamazaki
From The Space Library
 Naoko Yamazaki | |
| Birth Name | Naoko Yamazaki |
|---|---|
| Birth Date | 1970 |
| Occupation | NASDA Astronaut |
Contents |
Personal Data
Born in 1970 in Matsudo, Chiba Prefecture, Japan. Married to Taichi Yamazaki. They have one child. She enjoys scuba diving, snow skiing, flying and music. Her parents, Akito and Kimie Sumino reside in Matsudo.
Education
Graduated from Ochanomizu University Senior High School in 1989; Received a Bachelors degree in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Tokyo in 1993 and a Masters degree in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Tokyo in 1996.
Experience
Yamazaki joined the National Space Development Agency of Japan (NASDA) in 1996 and was involved in the Japanese Experiment Module (JEM) system integration, and specifically assigned developmental tasks. She also conducted failure analysis and assembly/initial operation procedure development in the JEM Project Team. From June 1998 to March 2000, she was involved in the development of the ISS Centrifuge (life science experiment facility) and conducted conceptual framework and preliminary design in the Centrifuge Project Team.
Spaceflight Experience
NASA/NASDA EXPERIENCE: Yamazaki arrived at the Johnson Space Center in June, 2004. In February 2006 she completed Astronaut Candidate Training that included scientific and technical briefings, intensive instruction in Shuttle and International Space Station systems, physiological training, T-38 flight training, and water and wilderness survival training. Completion of this initial training qualified her for various technical assignments within the Astronaut Office and future flight assignment. She initially served in the Astronaut Office Robotics Branch. In 2010 she served as a mission specialist on the crew of STS-131 and has logged over 362 hours in space. STS-131 Discovery (April 5-20, 2010), a resupply mission to the International Space Station, was launched at night from the Kennedy Space Center. On arrival at the station, Discoverys crew dropped off more than 27,000 pounds of hardware, supplies and equipment, including a tank full of ammonia coolant that required three spacewalks to hook it up, new crew sleeping quarters, and three experiment racks. On the return journey the MPLM (Leonardo Multi-Purpose Logistics Module) inside Discoverys payload bay was packed with over 6,000 pounds of hardware, science results, and trash. The STS-131 mission was accomplished in 15 days, 02 hours, 47 minutes,10 seconds, and traveled 6,232,235 statute miles in 238 orbits. In February 1999, Yamazaki was selected by NASDA (currently JAXA) as one of three Japanese astronaut candidates for the International Space Station (ISS). She attended the ISS Astronaut Basic Training program starting in April 1999 and was certified as an astronaut in September 2001. Since 2001, she has participated in ISS Advanced Training, in addition to supporting the development of the hardware and operation of the Japanese Experiment Module Kibo and the Centrifuge. On October 1, 2003, NASDA merged with ISAS (Institute of Space & Astronautic Science) and NAL (National Aerospace Laboratory of Japan) and was renamed JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency). In May 2004, she completed Soyuz-TMA Flight Engineer-1 training at the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center (GCTC), Star City, Russia. In October 2010, Yamazaki returned to Japan to work and train at the Tsukuba Space Center.
Special Honours
Other Information
Oct-10
