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NASA Spotlight: Astronaut Soichi Noguchi
Soichi Noguchi was selected as an astronaut with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency in 1996. A native of Yokohama, Kanagawa, he is currently a mission specialist for NASA’s SpaceX Crew-1 launch taking flight to the International Space Station on Nov. 14. Soichi will be the first international crewmember on Crew Dragon and the first international partner astronaut to fly aboard three types of orbital spacecraft – the U.S. space shuttle, the Russian Soyuz, and now the SpaceX Crew Dragon! Talk about impressive. He received a B.S. in Aeronautical Engineering in 1989, master’s degree in Aeronautical Engineering in 1991, Doctor of Philosophy in Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies in 2020, all from the University of Tokyo.
Soichi took time from preparing for his historic mission to answer questions about his life and career:
You recently earned a doctorate in philosophy. What made you do it?
After my second flight, I started this research about your sensory system in zero gravity. I used a my own personal video, which I took during my last two flights at the International Space Station. I had a lot of interesting discussions amongst young professionals and students at the University of Tokyo about the research. It was a fun experience – but I would not do it again!
Space is a risky business. Why do it?
Space IS definitely a risky business. But the reward is higher than the risk so that’s why we take it.
Do you have a message for boys and girls in Japan who are interested in science and engineering?
Three words: Space. Is. Waiting.
Aside from mission objectives and tasks, what’s a personal goal for this mission?
We have a lot of interesting missions to do, but my personal goal is to return home with lots of fun stories.
What was it like to get the phone call to become an astronaut?
It was 25 years ago, but I still remember the voice vividly. I got a call from Dr. Mamoru Mohri, the very first JAXA astronaut, and he said “Welcome to the Astronaut Corps.” When I got the call to be part of the Crew-1 mission, I was a lot less nervous than when I was assigned to my first mission, but the excitement remains the same.
Can you describe your crew mate Mike Hopkins in one sentence?
He is a natural leader that takes care of the team really well, and he’s fun to play around with.
Star Trek or Star Wars?
Star Wars… just because!
Can you share your favorite photo or video that you took in space?
My favorite photo is Mount Fuji because I see the mountain almost every day when I was a child. It’s definitely breathtaking to see Mount Fuji from space.
What personal items did you decide to pack for launch and why?
I have lots of family photos, and I would put it inside my sleep station. Definitely one of the most challenging things about spaceflight is not experiencing zero gravity, not the rocket, but time away from family.
How would you describe spacewalking outside the space station?
It’s an excursion. The view of the Earth is just breathtaking because you are just one glass away from the vacuum of space. There’s nothing between you and Earth.
What are you most excited about for the future of human space exploration?
I would say I’m most excited for interplanetary travel to become more common so that the school kids can go to Mars on their field trip.
What would you say to someone looking to follow in your footsteps?
Don’t worry, be happy!
How has spaceflight evolved since your first launch and stay aboard the International Space Station in 2005?
This is definitely an exciting moment. We’re starting to see more players in the game. SpaceX is the frontrunner, but soon we’ll see Boeing, Sierra Nevada and Axiom. So the International Space Station will soon have more players involved, and it will be a lot more fun!
Thank you for your time, Soichi, and good luck on your historic mission! Get to know a bit more about Soichi and his NASA astronaut crew mates Victor Glover, Michael Hopkins, and Shannon Walker in the video above.
Watch LIVE launch coverage beginning at 3:30 p.m. EST on Nov. 14 HERE.
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5 Out of this World Experiments Awaiting Crew-1 Space Scientists
NASA astronauts Shannon Walker, Victor Glover, and Mike Hopkins, and JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Soichi Noguchi embark on a historic mission on November 14, 2020 aboard the Crew Dragon. NASA’s Crew-1 mission marks the first certified crew rotation flight to the International Space Station. During their 6-month stay on orbit, these crew members will don their science caps and complete experiments in microgravity. Check out five out of this world experiments you can expect to see these space scientists working on during Expedition 64.
1. Space Gardening
The Crew-1 astronauts will become space farmers with the responsibility of tending to the rad(ish) garden located in a facility known as the Advanced Plant Habitat (APH). Researchers are investigating radishes in the Plant Habitat-02 experiment as a candidate crop for spaceflight applications to supplement food sources for astronauts. Radishes have the benefits of high nutritional content and quick growth rates, making these veggies an intriguing option for future space farmers on longer missions to the Moon or Mars.
2. Micro Miners
Microbes can seemingly do it all, including digging up the dirt (so to speak). The BioAsteroid investigation looks at the ability of bacteria to break down rock. Future space explorers could use this process for extracting elements from planetary surfaces and refining regolith, the type of soil found on the moon, into usable compounds. To sum it up, these microbial miners rock.
3. Cooler Exploration Spacesuits
The iconic spacesuits used to walk on the moon and perform spacewalks on orbit are getting an upgrade. The next generation spacesuit, the Exploration Extravehicular Mobility Unit (xEMU), will be even cooler than before, both in looks and in terms of ability to regulate astronaut body temperature. The Spacesuit Evaporation Rejection Flight Experiment (SERFE) experiment is a technology demonstration being performed on station to look at the efficiency of multiple components in the xEMU responsible for thermal regulation, evaporation processes, and preventing corrosion of the spacesuits.
4. Chips in Space
Crew-1 can expect to get a delivery of many types of chips during their mission. We aren’t referring to the chips you would find in your pantry. Rather, Tissue Chips in Space is an initiative sponsored by the National Institutes of Health to study 3D organ-like constructs on a small, compact devices in microgravity. Organ on a chip technology allows for the study of disease processes and potential therapeutics in a rapid manner. During Expedition 64, investigations utilizing organ on a chip technology will include studies on muscle loss, lung function, and the blood brain barrier – all on devices the size of a USB flashdrive.
5. The Rhythm of Life
Circadian rhythm, otherwise known as our “internal clock,” dictates our sleep-wake cycles and influences cognition. Fruit flies are hitching a ride to the space station as the subjects of the Genes in Space-7 experiment, created by a team of high school students. These flies, more formally known as the Drosophila melanogaster, are a model organism, meaning that they are common subjects of scientific study. Understanding changes in the genetic material that influences circadian rhythm in microgravity can shed light on processes relevant to an astronaut’s brain function.
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For updates on other platforms, follow @ISS_Research, Space Station Research and Technology News, or our Facebook to keep up with the science happening aboard your orbiting laboratory, and step outside to see the space station passing over your town using Spot the Station.
Dolphins x Astronauts: The collab we didn’t know we needed
A pod of curious dolphins added extra meaning and porpoise to the recovery of Crew-9′s SpaceX Dragon capsule and its four explorers shortly after splashdown. Inside the capsule were astronauts Nick Hague, Suni Williams, Butch Wilmore, and cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, who splashed down off the coast of Florida at 5:57pm ET (2127 UTC) on March 18, 2025, concluding their scientific mission to the International Space Station. See Crew-9 return from deorbit to splashdown in this video. (The dolphins appear at 1:33:56.)
I made this black and white astronaut art but I’m not sure if I should color it, this was made about 5 months ago I think
Exciting weekend! Got signed off on a certification and SpaceX gave me a new hat! #nasa #spacex #space #solarsystemambassador https://www.instagram.com/p/CW3WpnslSyR/?utm_medium=tumblr
Got my boarding pass! Stay tuned for an exciting week coming up. Shane Kimbrough, who graduated from The Lovett School and Georgia Tech, will be going to space for the third time. He will also be flying in his third type of spacecraft! He has flown in the Space Shuttle, and a Soyuz capsule. This time, he will be riding a Space-X Dragon to the ISS. . . . . #nasa #iss #internationalspacestation #crew2 #dragon #spacex #spacexdragon https://www.instagram.com/p/CNwBb46DZVL/?igshid=1gj6rezp2dk7w
Merry Christmas and a Happy CRS-21 Launch!!! 🎄 🚀 #nasasocial #nasa #iss #internationalspacestation #spacex #dragon #merrychristmas https://www.instagram.com/p/CIeJecrDeX4/?igshid=1ep76if4gvodq
Looking forward to a Saturday launch for SpaceX’s 21st cargo resupply mission to the International Space Station. #nasasocial #nasa #spacex #space #iss #internationalspacestation #dragon https://www.instagram.com/p/CIXVnpCD4d_/?igshid=m9m1riesurea
Watch as four astronauts ride their Crew Dragon Spacecraft, Resilience, to the ISS at 7:27pm. https://www.nasa.gov/nasalive #launchamerica #spacex #internationalspacestation #iss #nasasocial https://www.instagram.com/p/CHoM_B_DOpK/?igshid=1pjfltezp9w7p
Get your boarding pass and join me in celebrating the upcoming launch of the SpaceX Crew Dragon - Resilience. Four astronauts are scheduled to ride a SpaceX Falcon 9 to the ISS on Saturday, November 14, 2020. #spacex #nasa #iss #launchamerica #spacestation20th #internationalspacestation #crewdragon #falcon9 https://fb.me/e/1OVkkJk4Q https://www.instagram.com/p/CHRiOwjDBHk/?igshid=1w7e8usp6ffy4
Bob and Doug head home from the ISS in a few days. I received my patch earlier today. Thanks to @kscartist . #launchamerica @nasa @spacex #spacex #spacexcrewdragon https://www.instagram.com/p/CDVSPNvH6pI/?igshid=1kow89xpptp3b
On May 27, Astronauts will launch to the ISS from Kennedy Space Center for the first time since 2011. They will be riding a SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft on a Falcon 9 rocket. @nasa @spacex @nasakennedy #nasa #spacex #crewdragon #falcon9 #launchamerica https://www.instagram.com/p/CALu2hMn0fe/?igshid=15gx7nn66skei
The only Tesla I can afford.
My tribute to Elon Musk made by Jagood Tattoo at Blackstar Studio in Warsaw.
Obviously it is. Best weapon to use against other colonists.
The flamethrower is all part of the plan. Right Elon Musk? Comic by @lukekingma and @loupatrickmackay
So the wise man once said...
I will never have enough of these ‘Roadster in space’ memes.
Source: 9GAG
I love that Roadster in space.
Would prefer to drive it though.
“Space is big. You just won’t believe how vastly, hugely, mind-bogglingly big it is. I mean, you may think it’s a long way down the road to the chemist’s, but that’s just peanuts to space.”
— Douglas Adams, from The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.
YEAH THEY MADE IT
I feel kinda bad for NASA and SpaceX sincerely. Today they are writing a new chapter in the history of human space travel, an event that should be a shining beacon of hope for the future and pride for the US and for the STEM field in general, that is sadly overshadowed by the horrific murder of George Floyd by those heinous beasts disguised as cops.
https://youtu.be/hvaYOMac9bo
I'm sorry yet I had to.
Yeah Earth is such a narcissist
But TESS is a great satellite (it launched in 2018 by SpaceX - so thanks guys!)
The study of exoplanets has never been my main thing in astrophysics (sorry, my heart belongs to black holes and cosmology!) but I think it’s a really cool and important field. And, for everyone who says that the vastness of space just shows our insignificance, know that the odds of us finding other intelligent life are extremely small. I think we’re pretty special.
WANT MORE? GET YOUR HEAD STUCK IN THE STARS AT MY BLOG!
SpaceX successfully launched TESS yesterday! We’re going to discover so many new exoplanets.
I'm watching the launch now, half an hour to go!
This is the first NASA astronaut launch since 2011. I wanted to go to Cape Canaveral to watch but instead I'm watching from afar :)
(Edit: they’ve put off the launch till Saturday due to weather)
WANT MORE? GET YOUR HEAD STUCK IN THE STARS AT MY BLOG!
That’s epic :o
Kennedy Space Center reopens on May 28th and I begged my parents to go but they don’t want to xD
WANT MORE? GET YOUR HEAD STUCK IN THE STARS AT MY BLOG!
The first West Coast SpaceX launch captured by photographer Dylan Schwartz.
Video released by SpaceX of a pad abort test.
“The video is filmed from the point-of-view of an astronaut inside the rocket — the rocket that accelerates from zero to 100 mph in 1.2 seconds, that is.” x
🌐. 🌜. 🌝. 🌟. 🌌. ☄️. Gráficos de astronauta en 3D face graphycs #seodigitalmx #spacex #3D #nasa (en Space) https://www.instagram.com/p/CCamxNLBM-A/?igshid=15lx3c2u51r7a
