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Official Portrait of First Two Groups of NASA Astronauts

Official portrait of the seven original Mercury astronauts plus new members of the astronaut corps taken on February 19, 1963. Seated from left to right are: Gordon Cooper, Gus Grissom, Scott Carpenter, Wally Schirra, John Glenn, Alan Shepard, and Deke Slayton. Standing from left to right are: Edward White, James McDivitt, John Young, Elliot See, Charles Conrad, Frank Borman, Neil Armstrong, Thomas Stafford, and James Lovell. Photo by NASA via CNP/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Apollo 13 Return

Hickham AFB, HI - (FILE) -- United States President Richard M. Nixon, right center, and the Apollo 13 crew salute U.S. flag during the post-mission ceremonies at Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii. Earlier, the astronauts John Swigert, right, Jim Lovell, left center, and Fred W. Haise, left, were presented the Presidential Medal of Freedom by the Chief Executive. Apollo 13, launched on April 11, 1970, was NASA's third manned mission to the moon. Two days later on April 13 while the mission was en route to the moon, a fault in the electrical system of one of the Service Module's oxygen tanks produced an explosion that caused both oxygen tanks to fail and also led to a loss of electrical power. The command module remained functional on its own batteries and oxygen tank, but these were usable only during the last hours of the mission. The crew shut down the Command Module and used the Lunar Module as a "lifeboat" during the return trip to earth. Despite great hardship caused by limited power, loss of cabin heat, and

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Astronauts: Past and Present

Cleveland, OH - August 29, 2008 -- An all-star gathering of legendary American astronauts appeared in Cleveland, Ohio on August 29, 2008 to celebrate the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) 50th anniversary. John Glenn, the first American to orbit Earth, Neil Armstrong, the first person to walk on the moon, Jim Lovell, veteran of two Apollo missions, and Kathryn Sullivan, the first woman to walk in space joined 15 other astronauts from Ohio..From left to right in the front row are Kenneth Cameron, Robert Springer, Neil Armstrong, John Glenn, James Lovell and Kathryn Sullivan. .From left to right in the middle row are Nancy Currie, Terence Henricks, Ronald Sega, Curt Brown, Gregory Harbaugh, Thomas Hennen and Carl Walz..From left to right in the back row are Mary Weber, Michael Foreman, Michael Gernhardt, Kevin Kregel, Donald Thomas and Suni Williams..Photo by NASA via CNP/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Thanksgiving Beyond Earth

Handout photo dated November 27, 2018 shows Getting all ten members of an aggregation consisting of seven Endeavour astronauts and three Expedition 18 crewmembers into a single photo wasn't easy as the two crews shared a Thanksgiving meal on the middeck of the orbiter. Astronaut Sandra Magnus, Expedition 18 flight engineer, appears at top center. Clockwise from her position are astronauts Shane Kimbrough and Eric Boe, along with cosmonaut Yury Lonchakov, and astronauts Steve Bowen (partially visible behind Lonchakov), Donald Pettit, Michael Fincke, Gregory Chamitoff, Heidemarie Stefanyshyn-Piper and Chris Ferguson (partially visible at top right). Ferguson is STS-126 commander, and Fincke is commander for the station crew. Since 1973, astronauts have celebrated Thanksgiving in space, bringing a cherished tradition far beyond Earth. The first Thanksgiving in orbit took place aboard Skylab during the Skylab 4 mission, where astronauts Gerald Carr, Edward Gibson, and William Pogue marked the day with an improvis

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Thanksgiving Beyond Earth

Handout photo dated November 27, 2008 Not far away from this close-up scene of the galley on the Space Shuttle Endeavour were nine astronauts and a cosmonaut eager to share a Thanksgiving meal to top off almost two weeks of joint activities, including an involved home improvement project on the International Space Station. Unlike most of their families and friends on Earth, who probably went through pains to prepare elaborate meals for this festive occasion, the STS-126 and Expedition 18 crewmembers merely needed add water to these prepared packets. Since 1973, astronauts have celebrated Thanksgiving in space, bringing a cherished tradition far beyond Earth. The first Thanksgiving in orbit took place aboard Skylab during the Skylab 4 mission, where astronauts Gerald Carr, Edward Gibson, and William Pogue marked the day with an improvised meal after a spacewalk. Over the years, this tradition has evolved, with crews on shuttles, space stations, and orbiters finding creative ways to honor the holiday. From shri

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New JAXA astronauts

Ayu Yoneda, one of the two newly approved Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronauts, speaks at a press conference in Tokyo on Oct. 23, 2024.

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New JAXA astronauts

Makoto Suwa, one of the two newly approved Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronauts, speaks at a press conference in Tokyo on Oct. 23, 2024.

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SpaceX Will Return Stranded Astronauts Next Year

Handout file photo dated June 13, 2024 shows NASA's Boeing Crew Flight Test astronauts (from top) Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams pose for a portrait inside the vestibule between the forward port on the International Space Station's Harmony module and Boeing's Starliner spacecraft. Two Nasa astronauts who have been stuck in space for over two months will return to Earth in February 2025 with SpaceX. Nasa said the Boeing Starliner spacecraft the astronauts Sunita Williams and Barry Wilmore had travelled to International Space Station (ISS) on would return to Earth "un-crewed". The pair took off on what was planned to be an eight-day mission on 5 June but will now spend around eight months in orbit. Photo by Nasa via ABACAPRESS.COM

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SpaceX Will Return Stranded Astronauts Next Year

Handout file photo dated June 27, 2024 NASA's Boeing Crew Flight Test astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore prepare orbital plumbing hardware for installation inside the International Space Station’s bathroom, also known as the waste and hygiene compartment, located in the Tranquility module. Two Nasa astronauts who have been stuck in space for over two months will return to Earth in February 2025 with SpaceX. Nasa said the Boeing Starliner spacecraft the astronauts Sunita Williams and Barry Wilmore had travelled to International Space Station (ISS) on would return to Earth "un-crewed". The pair took off on what was planned to be an eight-day mission on 5 June but will now spend around eight months in orbit. Photo by NASA via ABACAPRESS.COM

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SpaceX Will Return Stranded Astronauts Next Year

Handout file photo dated November 3, 2022 shows Boeing Crew Flight Test (CFT) Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams Suited EMER SIM Operations in Building 5, Boeing Mockup Simulator. Two Nasa astronauts who have been stuck in space for over two months will return to Earth in February 2025 with SpaceX. Nasa said the Boeing Starliner spacecraft the astronauts Sunita Williams and Barry Wilmore had travelled to International Space Station (ISS) on would return to Earth "un-crewed". The pair took off on what was planned to be an eight-day mission on 5 June but will now spend around eight months in orbit. Photo by Robert Markowitz/NASA via ABACAPRESS.COM

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SpaceX Will Return Stranded Astronauts Next Year

Handout file photo dated July 3, 2024 shows Boeing's Starliner spacecraft that launched NASA's Crew Flight Test astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams to the International Space Station is pictured docked to the Harmony module's forward port. This view is from a window on the SpaceX Dragon Endeavour spacecraft docked to the port adjacent to the Starliner. Two Nasa astronauts who have been stuck in space for over two months will return to Earth in February 2025 with SpaceX. Nasa said the Boeing Starliner spacecraft the astronauts Sunita Williams and Barry Wilmore had travelled to International Space Station (ISS) on would return to Earth "un-crewed". The pair took off on what was planned to be an eight-day mission on 5 June but will now spend around eight months in orbit. Photo by NASA via ABACAPRESS.COM

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SpaceX Will Return Stranded Astronauts Next Year

Handout file photo dated June 6, 2024 shows he Starliner spacecraft on NASA's Boeing Crew Flight Test approaches the International Space Station while orbiting 263 miles above Quebec, Canada. Two Nasa astronauts who have been stuck in space for over two months will return to Earth in February 2025 with SpaceX. Nasa said the Boeing Starliner spacecraft the astronauts Sunita Williams and Barry Wilmore had travelled to International Space Station (ISS) on would return to Earth "un-crewed". The pair took off on what was planned to be an eight-day mission on 5 June but will now spend around eight months in orbit. Photo by NASA via ABACAPRESS.COM

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SpaceX Will Return Stranded Astronauts Next Year

Handout file photo dated June 13, 2024 shows rhe Starliner spacecraft on NASA's Boeing Crew Flight Test is pictured docked to the Harmony module's forward port as the International Space Station orbited 263 miles above the Mediterranean Sea. Two Nasa astronauts who have been stuck in space for over two months will return to Earth in February 2025 with SpaceX. Nasa said the Boeing Starliner spacecraft the astronauts Sunita Williams and Barry Wilmore had travelled to International Space Station (ISS) on would return to Earth "un-crewed". The pair took off on what was planned to be an eight-day mission on 5 June but will now spend around eight months in orbit. Photo by NASA via ABACAPRESS.COM

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SpaceX Will Return Stranded Astronauts Next Year

Handout file photo dated November 1, 2022 shows Boeing Crew Flight Test (CFT) crew members Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams during Suited Post-Landing Emergency Egress in the Boeing Starliner Mockup at NASA’s Johnson Space Center. Two Nasa astronauts who have been stuck in space for over two months will return to Earth in February 2025 with SpaceX. Nasa said the Boeing Starliner spacecraft the astronauts Sunita Williams and Barry Wilmore had travelled to International Space Station (ISS) on would return to Earth "un-crewed". The pair took off on what was planned to be an eight-day mission on 5 June but will now spend around eight months in orbit. Photo by NASA/Bill Stafford via ABACAPRESS.COM

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SpaceX Will Return Stranded Astronauts Next Year

Handout file photo dated June 6, 2024 shows Boeing's Starliner spacecraft, with NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams aboard, approaches the International Space Station for an autonomous docking as it orbited 257 miles above the South Pacific Ocean. Two Nasa astronauts who have been stuck in space for over two months will return to Earth in February 2025 with SpaceX. Nasa said the Boeing Starliner spacecraft the astronauts Sunita Williams and Barry Wilmore had travelled to International Space Station (ISS) on would return to Earth "un-crewed". The pair took off on what was planned to be an eight-day mission on 5 June but will now spend around eight months in orbit. Photo by NASA via ABACAPRESS.COM

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SpaceX Will Return Stranded Astronauts Next Year

Handout file photo dated November 1, 2022 shows Boeing Crew Flight Test (CFT) crew members Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams during Suited Post-Landing Emergency Egress in the Boeing Starliner Mockup at NASA’s Johnson Space Center. Two Nasa astronauts who have been stuck in space for over two months will return to Earth in February 2025 with SpaceX. Nasa said the Boeing Starliner spacecraft the astronauts Sunita Williams and Barry Wilmore had travelled to International Space Station (ISS) on would return to Earth "un-crewed". The pair took off on what was planned to be an eight-day mission on 5 June but will now spend around eight months in orbit. Photo by NASA/Bill Stafford via ABACAPRESS.COM

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XINHUA PHOTOS OF THE DAY

(240706) -- BEIJING, July 6, 2024 Photo by Xinhua/ABACAPRESS.COM) -- Astronauts Tang Hongbo (C), Tang Shengjie (R) and Jiang Xinlin from China's Shenzhou-17 crewed mission meet press in Beijing, capital of China, July 5, 2024. The three astronauts met press on Friday, their first public appearance since they returned from space two months ago. (Photo by Wang Xiayang/Xinhua/ABACAPRESS.COM

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CHINA-BEIJING-SHENZHOU-17-ASTRONAUTS-PRESS (CN)

(240705) -- BEIJING, July 5, 2024 Photo by Xinhua/ABACAPRESS.COM) -- Astronaut Tang Shengjie from China's Shenzhou-17 crewed mission meets press in Beijing, capital of China, July 5, 2024. The three astronauts from China's Shenzhou-17 crewed mission met press on Friday, their first public appearance since they returned from space two months ago. TO GO WITH "Shenzhou-17 astronauts meet press after return from space" (Photo by Wang Xiayang/Xinhua/ABACAPRESS.COM

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CHINA-BEIJING-SHENZHOU-17-ASTRONAUTS-PRESS (CN)

(240705) -- BEIJING, July 5, 2024 Photo by Xinhua/ABACAPRESS.COM) -- Astronaut Jiang Xinlin from China's Shenzhou-17 crewed mission meets press in Beijing, capital of China, July 5, 2024. The three astronauts from China's Shenzhou-17 crewed mission met press on Friday, their first public appearance since they returned from space two months ago. TO GO WITH "Shenzhou-17 astronauts meet press after return from space" (Photo by Wang Xiayang/Xinhua/ABACAPRESS.COM

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CHINA-BEIJING-SHENZHOU-17-ASTRONAUTS-PRESS (CN)

(240705) -- BEIJING, July 5, 2024 Photo by Xinhua/ABACAPRESS.COM) -- Astronauts Tang Hongbo (C), Tang Shengjie (R) and Jiang Xinlin from China's Shenzhou-17 crewed mission meet press in Beijing, capital of China, July 5, 2024. The three astronauts met press on Friday, their first public appearance since they returned from space two months ago. TO GO WITH "Shenzhou-17 astronauts meet press after return from space" (Photo by Wang Xiayang/Xinhua/ABACAPRESS.COM

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CHINA-BEIJING-SHENZHOU-17-ASTRONAUTS-PRESS (CN)

(240705) -- BEIJING, July 5, 2024 Photo by Xinhua/ABACAPRESS.COM) -- Astronaut Tang Hongbo from China's Shenzhou-17 crewed mission meets press in Beijing, capital of China, July 5, 2024. The three astronauts from China's Shenzhou-17 crewed mission met press on Friday, their first public appearance since they returned from space two months ago. TO GO WITH "Shenzhou-17 astronauts meet press after return from space" (Photo by Wang Xiayang/Xinhua/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Boeing Starliner's first crewed flight

An Atlas V rocket carrying Boeing's CST-100 Starliner spaceship lifts off from the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, on June 5, 2024. The first crewed flight of the space capsule, carrying two astronauts to the International Space Station, follows two unmanned tests.

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US: Boeing Launches First Crewed Starliner Spacecraft

Boeing's Starliner capsule was launched from Florida on Wednesday, June 5 toward International Space Station (ISS) with two Nasa astronauts on board.

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U.S.-NASA-BOEING-STARLINER-CREWED MISSION

(240605) -- WASHINGTON, June 5, 2024 Photo by Xinhua/ABACAPRESS.COM) -- A United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket with Boeing's Starliner spacecraft aboard blasts off from Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, the United States, June 5, 2024. NASA and Boeing launched the first crewed mission of the Starliner spacecraft from the U.S. state of Florida on Wednesday, sending two NASA astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS). (Joel Kowsky/NASA/Handout via Xinhua/ABACAPRESS.COM

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U.S.-NASA-BOEING-STARLINER-CREWED MISSION

(240605) -- WASHINGTON, June 5, 2024 Photo by Xinhua/ABACAPRESS.COM) -- A United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket with Boeing's Starliner spacecraft aboard blasts off from Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, the United States, June 5, 2024. NASA and Boeing launched the first crewed mission of the Starliner spacecraft from the U.S. state of Florida on Wednesday, sending two NASA astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS). (Joel Kowsky/NASA/Handout via Xinhua/ABACAPRESS.COM

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U.S.-NASA-BOEING-STARLINER-CREWED MISSION

(240605) -- WASHINGTON, June 5, 2024 Photo by Xinhua/ABACAPRESS.COM) -- NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore (L) and Suni Williams are seen before boarding Boeing's Starliner spacecraft at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, the United States, June 5, 2024. NASA and Boeing launched the first crewed mission of the Starliner spacecraft from the U.S. state of Florida on Wednesday, sending two NASA astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS). (Joel Kowsky/NASA/Handout via Xinhua/ABACAPRESS.COM

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U.S.-NASA-BOEING-STARLINER-CREWED MISSION

(240605) -- WASHINGTON, June 5, 2024 Photo by Xinhua/ABACAPRESS.COM) -- NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore (L, front) and Suni Williams (R, front) wave before boarding Boeing's Starliner spacecraft at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, the United States, June 5, 2024. NASA and Boeing launched the first crewed mission of the Starliner spacecraft from the U.S. state of Florida on Wednesday, sending two NASA astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS). (Joel Kowsky/NASA/Handout via Xinhua/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Shenzhou-18 astronauts enter space station

STORY: Shenzhou-18 astronauts enter space station SHOOTING TIME: April 26, 2024 DATELINE: April 26, 2024 LENGTH: 0:00:16 LOCATION: Beijing CATEGORY: TECHNOLOGY SHOTLIST: 1. the space get-together STORYLINE: The three astronauts aboard China's Shenzhou-18 spaceship have entered the country's space station and met with another astronaut trio on Friday, starting a new round of in-orbit crew handover. The Shenzhou-17 crew opened the hatch at 5:04 a.m. (Beijing Time). The three space station occupants greeted the new arrivals, and they took group pictures. The space get-together of the two crews kicked off the fourth in-orbit crew rotation in China's space station. According to the China Manned Space Agency, the six astronauts will live and work together for about 5 days to complete planned tasks and handover work. Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Beijing. (XHTV)

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Astronaut Scrubbed From Apollo 13 Dies At 87

Handout file photo dated May 11, 1982 shows two astronauts will man the space shuttle Columbia for NASA's fourth and final (STS-4) orbital flight test. Thomas K. (Ken) Mattingly II, right, is crew commander. Henry W. Hartsfield Jr., is pilot. Ken Mattingly, astronaut scrubbed from apollo 13, is dead at 87. He later orbited the moon, but in 1970 he was bumped from the Apollo flight after being exposed to measles. Then, from mission control, he helped it avert disaster. Photo by Nasa via ABACAPRESS.COM

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Tang Hongbo, ready to revisit China's space station

STORY: Tang Hongbo, ready to revisit China's space station DATELINE: Oct. 25, 2023 LENGTH: 00:02:00 LOCATION: JIUQUAN, China CATEGORY: TECHNOLOGY SHOTLIST: 1. SOUNDBITE (English): TANG HONGBO, Chinese astronaut STORYLINE: Tang Hongbo, commander of the Shenzhou-17 mission, met the press on Wednesday, one day ahead of the scheduled departure for the Tiangong space station. Tang said that in the two years since he returned from the three-month Shenzhou-12 mission, he had raced against time to learn new knowledge and hone his skills to prepare for his next mission. SOUNDBITE (English): TANG HONGBO, Chinese astronaut "First of all, on behalf of the crew, I would like to thank the Chinese people for their support and the attention of friends from the media. To describe my current feelings, I am very calm, and all I think about is how to complete the mission successfully, because I am always ready to go to space for my motherland. This is my original aspiration since I joined the astronauts team. This aspiratio

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Egyptian teenager's artwork takes long journey to China's space station

STORY: Egyptian teenager's artwork takes long journey to China's space station DATELINE: Sept. 14, 2023 LENGTH: 0:02:57 LOCATION: Cairo CATEGORY: CULTURE/SCIENCE SHOTLIST: 1. various of paintings of Egyptian teens who competed in the contest entitled "My Dream" 2. SOUNDBITE 1 (Arabic): RAWDA AHMED ALI AL-SHAWADFY, 18-year-old Egyptian girl 3. various of the award ceremony in Cairo 4. SOUNDBITE 2 (Chinese): LIAO LIQIANG, Chinese Ambassador to Egypt 5. SOUNDBITE 3 (Arabic): SHERIF SEDKY, CEO of the Egyptian Space Agency STORYLINE: Rawda Ahmed Ali Al-Shawadfy, an 18-year-old Egyptian girl who loves painting, has never imagined that one of her works could embark on a long journey to space and float around inside China's Tiangong Space Station. Shawadfy's artwork was selected as one of the 10 paintings taken by Chinese astronauts into space in May. The painting, titled "China Is Africa's Hope Toward Space," vividly depicts two astronauts, one Chinese and one African, shaking hands on the moon's surface, signif

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Axiom's private astronauts mission docks to space station

STORY: Axiom's private astronauts mission docks to space station DATELINE: May 24, 2023 LENGTH: 00:03:26 LOCATION: Washington D.C. CATEGORY: TECHNOLOGY SHOTLIST: 1. various of crew of private astronauts 2. various of the launch 3. various of the spacecraft docking to the International Space Station STORYLINE: SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft carrying four private astronauts docked to the International Space Station (ISS) on Monday. The spacecraft lifted from Launch Complex 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 5:37 p.m. Eastern Time Sunday. The crew docked to the ISS at 9:12 a.m. Monday. The mission, codenamed Ax-2, is Axiom Space's second all-private astronaut mission to the ISS following the first mission in 2022. The four-member crew includes mission commander Peggy Whitson, pilot John Shoffner from the United States and two mission specialists Ali Alqarni and Rayyanah Barnawi from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The crew is scheduled to spend about eight days on the ISS, performing over 20 scienc

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A glimpse of milestones in China's manned space program

STORY: A glimpse of milestones in China's manned space program DATELINE: April 25, 2023 LENGTH: 0:04:52 LOCATION: Beijing CATEGORY: TECHNOLOGY SHOTLIST: 1. various of the achievements of China's manned space program 2. SOUNDBITE 1 (Chinese): ZHAI ZHIGANG, China's first spacewalker 3. SOUNDBITE 2 (Chinese): NIE HAISHENG, Chinese astronaut 4. SOUNDBITE 3 (Chinese): SHEN TINGZHENG, Specialist at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center 5. SOUNDBITE 4 (Chinese): SUN JIADONG, Chinese aerospace engineer, Honoree of the Medal of the Republic 6. SOUNDBITE 5 (Chinese): BAO SHUO, Member of Beijing Aerospace Control Center STORYLINE: China's manned space program started in 1992 with a three-step strategy. The first step was to send astronauts into space and bring them back safely. In October 2003, China successfully launched its first manned spaceship Shenzhou-5. The Shenzhou-5 mission made China the third country to send a man into space after the Soviet Union and the United States. Two years later, China sent two ast

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Doctor, World Bank official selected to be astronauts

Ayu Yoneda (L), a 28-year-old surgeon at the Japan Red Cross Medical Center, attends a press conference in Tokyo on Feb. 28, 2023, after the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency selected her to become an astronaut together with Makoto Suwa (on screen), a 46-year-old disaster prevention specialist at the World Bank. It is the first time since 2009 that new Japanese astronaut candidates have been chosen, with the two landing their dream jobs after going through a rigorous screening process involving over 4,100 applicants.

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Doctor, World Bank official selected to be astronauts

Ayu Yoneda, a 28-year-old surgeon at the Japan Red Cross Medical Center, attends a press conference in Tokyo on Feb. 28, 2023, after the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency selected her to become an astronaut together with Makoto Suwa (on screen), a 46-year-old disaster prevention specialist at the World Bank. It is the first time since 2009 that new Japanese astronaut candidates have been chosen, with the two landing their dream jobs after going through a rigorous screening process involving over 4,100 applicants.

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Doctor, World Bank official selected to be astronauts

Ayu Yoneda (L), a 28-year-old surgeon at the Japan Red Cross Medical Center, virtually "shakes hands" with Makoto Suwa (on screen), a 46-year-old disaster prevention specialist at the World Bank -- now in the United States -- during a press conference in Tokyo on Feb. 28, 2023, after the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency selected them to become astronauts. It is the first time since 2009 that new Japanese astronaut candidates have been chosen, with the two landing their dream jobs after going through a rigorous screening process involving over 4,100 applicants.

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World Bank official, doctor selected to be astronauts

Screenshot shows Makoto Suwa, a 46-year-old disaster prevention specialist at the World Bank, attending an online press conference from the United States on Feb. 28, 2023, after the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency selected him to become an astronaut together with Ayu Yoneda, a 28-year-old surgeon at the Japan Red Cross Medical Center. It is the first time since 2009 that new Japanese astronaut candidates have been chosen, with the two landing their dream jobs after going through a rigorous screening process involving over 4,100 applicants.

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Doctor, World Bank official selected to be astronauts

Ayu Yoneda, a 28-year-old surgeon at the Japan Red Cross Medical Center, speaks at a press conference in Tokyo on Feb. 28, 2023, after the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency selected her to become an astronaut together with Makoto Suwa, a 46-year-old disaster prevention specialist at the World Bank. It is the first time since 2009 that new Japanese astronaut candidates have been chosen, with the two landing their dream jobs after going through a rigorous screening process involving over 4,100 applicants.

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Soyuz launch to ISS

BAIKONUR, Kazakhstan, Dec. 19 Kyodo - Japanese astronaut Norishige Kanai smiles before boarding a Russian Soyuz spacecraft at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on Dec. 17, 2017. The spacecraft was successfully launched to the International Space Station later in the day with two other astronauts from Russia and the United States on board.

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Soyuz launch to ISS

BAIKONUR, Kazakhstan, Dec. 19 Kyodo - Japanese astronaut Norishige Kanai clenches his fist before boarding a Russian Soyuz spacecraft at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on Dec. 17, 2017. The spacecraft was successfully launched to the International Space Station later in the day with two other astronauts from Russia and the United States on board. (Pool photo)

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Japanese astronaut Noguchi attends press conference in Paris

PARIS, France - Japanese astronaut Soichi Noguchi attends a press conference at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris, France, on Dec. 18, 2014. He stressed the significance of a space project under which two astronauts from the United States and Russia will stay at the International Space Station for the longest-ever period of one year from next March.

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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.

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Astronauts on ISS

MOSCOW, Russia - Japan's Akihiko Hoshide (L) waves as astronauts on the International Space Station are projected on a monitor at a control center in the suburbs of Moscow on July 17, 2012. A Russian Soyuz spacecraft carrying Hoshide and two colleagues docked with the space station earlier in the day.

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Russian spacecraft carrying 3 astronauts lifts off

BAIKONUR, Kazakhstan - Photo shows Japanese astronaut Akihiko Hoshide (front) and Russian cosmonaut Yuri Malenchenko heading to a rocket launch pad at a space center in Baikonur, Kazakhstan, on July 15, 2012. A Russian Soyuz spacecraft carrying the two astronauts and NASA astronaut Sunita Williams lifted off on a rocket at 8:40 a.m. the same day bound for the International Space Station.

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Japanese astronaut Hoshide

MOSCOW, Russia - Japanese astronaut Akihiko Hoshide is pictured during a press conference at Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center near Moscow on Feb. 28, 2012, ahead of the launch later this year of a Russian Soyuz spacecraft that will carry him and two other astronauts to the International Space Station.

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Japanese astronaut Hoshide

MOSCOW, Russia - Japanese astronaut Akihiko Hoshide takes part in a training session at Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center near Moscow on Feb. 28, 2012, ahead of the launch later this year of a Russian Soyuz spacecraft that will carry him and two other astronauts to the International Space Station.

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Astronauts return to Earth

ARKALYK, Kazakhstan - Japanese astronaut Satoshi Furukawa (C) is carried from the reentry capsule of a Soyuz spacecraft on a plain near Arkalyk, Kazakhstan, at 8:55 a.m. on Nov. 22, 2011, after the spacecraft carrying Furukawa and two other astronauts -- American Mike Fossum and Sergei Volkov of Russia -- returned to Earth. The spacecraft landed at 8:25 a.m., bringing the three back to Earth after they completed a five-and-a-half-month mission aboard the International Space Station.

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Astronauts return to Earth

ARKALYK, Kazakhstan - Japanese astronaut Satoshi Furukawa (C) is seen smiling at 8:56 a.m. on Nov. 22, 2011, while being carried from a Soyuz spacecraft on a plain near Arkalyk, Kazakhstan. The spacecraft carrying Furukawa and two other astronauts -- American Mike Fossum and Sergei Volkov of Russia -- landed at 8:25 a.m., bringing the three back to Earth after they completed a five-and-a-half-month mission aboard the International Space Station.

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Astronauts return to Earth

ARKALYK, Kazakhstan - Japanese astronaut Satoshi Furukawa (R) is carried by compatriot astronaut Soichi Noguchi (L) and others from a Soyuz spacecraft on a plain near Arkalyk, Kazakhstan, at 8:55 a.m. on Nov. 22, 2011, with the reentry capsule of the spacecraft shown in the background. The spacecraft carrying Furukawa and two other astronauts -- American Mike Fossum and Sergei Volkov of Russia -- landed at 8:25 a.m., bringing the three back to Earth after they completed a five-and-a-half-month mission aboard the International Space Station.

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Astronauts return to Earth

ARKALYK, Kazakhstan - Japanese astronaut Satoshi Furukawa (C) is carried from a Soyuz spacecraft on a plain near Arkalyk, Kazakhstan, at 9 a.m. on Nov. 22, 2011, to receive medical checkups. The spacecraft carrying Furukawa and two other astronauts -- American Mike Fossum and Sergei Volkov of Russia -- landed at 8:25 a.m., bringing the three back to Earth after they completed a five-and-a-half-month mission aboard the International Space Station.