NII TsPK picture

Akihiko HOSHIDE

JAXA astronaut, Japan

DATE AND PLACE OF BIRTH: Born on December 28, 1968 in Setagaya-ku, Tokyo, Japan.

EDUCATION:
In 1992 received a Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering from Keio University and in 1997 - a Master of Science degree in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Houston College of Engineering.

FAMILY STATUS: single.

HOBBY: rugby football, swimming, underwater sports, travelling, snow skiing, flying a plane, playing a guitar.

WORK EXPERIENCE:
From 1992 to 1994 he worked at NASDA, Nagoya Office, and was involved in the development of H-II LV.
From 1994 to 1997 he worked at the Space Office and was engaged in the development of the astronaut training program.
Since 1997 he has been working at the NASDA Astronaut Office.
On February 10, 1999 he was selected by NASDA for the astronaut corps.
From April 1999 to January 24, 2001 AKIHIKO HOSHIDE passed general space training at the NASDA Space Center in Tsukuba and having finished his training he was qualified as an astronaut.
Since July 5, 1999 he participated in week's sea trainings in Kudepsta on the Black Sea Coast together with the Russian cosmonauts.
From August 26 to September 6, 2002 he took part in trainings (under the ISS flight program) at the base of the European Astronaut Center - EAC, Cologne, Germany.
In January and March 2003 he participated in Kibo Advanced Training No. 2.
From July to September 2003 he passed training in Russia on the Soyuz-TMA MTV simulator.
In November 2003 ARIHIKO HOSHIDE participated in Kibo EVA Procedure Development Test No. 5, namely the procedure of Kibo Module docking with the ISS.
In May 2004 he was certified as the Soyuz-TMA MTV flight engineer.
From June 2004 he passed training at Johnson Space Center. On February 10, 2006 he was certified by NASA as a mission specialist and assigned to the Astronaut Office ISS Department, Johnson Center, and worked as a capsule communicator (CAPCOM) with the crew at MCC. After getting a qualification as a mission specialist HOSHIDE was left in Houston to perform operations related to prelaunch processing of the Japanese Experiment Module Kibo.
On March 24, 2007 it was announced that he was assigned as a mission specialist to the Shuttle crew under STS-124 program.

HOSHIDE performed his first spaceflight from May 31 to June 14, 2008 as the mission specialist in the crew of the Discovery Shuttle (STS-124). The main flight objective was to deliver the following to the ISS: the pressurized module and robotic manipulator of the Japanese Science Module Kibo.
The mission duration was 13 days 18 hours 13 min.

On November 18, 2009 in press release of Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency JAXA it was reported that HOSHIDE was assigned as a flight engineer to the prime crew of ISS-32/33. On July 8, 2010 his assignment was officially confirmed by NASA in press release 10-161.
On October 12, 2010 his assignment to the prime crew of ISS-32/33 was confirmed by Interdepartmental Commission for selection of cosmonauts and their assignment to the manned spacecraft crews.

December 2011.
By the data presented by Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center and site www.astronaut.ru.