Koichi Wakata

Koichi Wakata (若田 光一, born 1 August 1963) is a Japanese astronaut and a veteran of two NASA space shuttle missions.

Wakata, born in Omiya, Saitama, earned a masters degree in applied mathematics from Kyushu University in 1989. He worked as a structural engineer for Japan Airlines. Wakata was selected as an astronaut candidate in 1992 and trained at NASA's Johnson Space Center; he flew aboard STS-72 in 1996 and STS-92 as a mission specialist.

External link

• NASA Biography