Astronaut Wakata, Mastracchio visit NASA center

Astronaut Wakata, Mastracchio visit NASA center

WASHINGTON, United States - Japanese astronaut Koichi Wakata (R) and NASA astronaut Richard Mastracchio (C) visit Goddard Space Flight Center in a Washington suburb on Sept. 17, 2014. The two astronauts viewed the operation of the Global Precipitation Measurement mission that helps improve the accuracy of weather reports.

Soyuz lifts off

Soyuz lifts off

BAIKONUR, Kazakhstan - Astronauts (from L) Koichi Wakata of Japan, Mikhail Tyurin of Russia and Richard Mastracchio of the United States leave their lodging in Baikonur, Kazakhstan, with a Sochi Winter Olympics torch to be taken into space. A Russian Soyuz spacecraft carrying the three astronauts lifted off at the Baikonur Cosmodrome later that day bound for the International Space Station.

Astronauts with Olympic torch

Astronauts with Olympic torch

MOSCOW, Japan - Astronauts (from L) Koichi Wakata of Japan, Mikhail Tyurin of Russia and Richard Mastracchio of the United States hold, during a press conference at the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center near Moscow on Oct. 22, 2013, a Sochi Winter Olympics torch to be taken into space. The three astronauts will travel to the International Space Station on a Soyuz spacecraft in November 2013.

Astronauts bound for ISS

Astronauts bound for ISS

MOSCOW, Russia - (From L) Astronauts Richard Mastracchio of the United States, Koichi Wakata of Japan and Mikhail Tyurin of Russia hold a press conference at the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in the suburbs of Moscow on Aug. 12, 2013. They will head to the International Space Station on a Soyuz spacecraft in November 2013.

Astronaut Wakata, Mastracchio visit NASA center

Astronaut Wakata, Mastracchio visit NASA center

WASHINGTON, United States - Japanese astronaut Koichi Wakata (R) and NASA astronaut Richard Mastracchio (C) visit Goddard Space Flight Center in a Washington suburb on Sept. 17, 2014. The two astronauts viewed the operation of the Global Precipitation Measurement mission that helps improve the accuracy of weather reports. (Kyodo)