Japan’s 2 new astronauts show excitement, with Moon possibly in sight

Tokyo: Japan’s two newly approved astronauts expressed excitement on Wednesday about their upcoming space journey, amid expectations that they could be selected as the first Japanese astronauts to land on the Moon under the U.S.-led lunar exploration program.

“Space exploration has become an era of upheaval, targeting the Moon and Mars. I want to become an astronaut that can convey the fascination of space,” Ayu Yoneda, 29, told a press conference in Tokyo two days after she was officially certified as an astronaut by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, along with Makoto Suwa, 47.

Suwa, who also attended the press conference, said, “Space exploration is in a transitional period. I want to become an astronaut who can adapt to the changing environment.”

Yoneda, who served as a surgeon at the Japanese Red Cross Medical Center, became the youngest astronaut to be approved by the agency, while Suwa, a former disaster prevention specialist at the World Bank, became the eldest astronaut at the time of certification.

With the two seen as potential candidates to take part in NASA’s lunar exploration program known as Artemis, Yoneda said, “I don’t know who will be picked, but I am thinking what is necessary as a team.”

As part of the Artemis program, the United States aims to return humans to the Moon in 2026, more than half a century since the last Apollo mission by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. It also includes sending the first woman and the first person of color to the Moon.

The United States has agreed to allocate two astronaut flight opportunities to the lunar surface for Japan on future Artemis missions. JAXA now has seven astronauts who could be picked for the slots.

“I am excited to aim for the Moon,” Suwa said.

Suwa and Yoneda are scheduled to move to the United States for further training at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Texas and await decisions on assignments to travel to space.

The two became the first astronauts approved by JAXA since 2011. They have undergone basic training, including piloting a plane, health management in outer space and electrical engineering, after being selected as astronaut candidates by JAXA in 2023.