Akihiko Hoshide

• STS- 124 (2008)
• Soyuz TMA- 05M (2012 )   ISS Expedition 32
• ISS Expedition 33

Akihiko Hoshide (Japanese星 出 彰 彦, Hoshide Akihiko, born December 28, 1968 in Setagaya- ku, Tokyo, Tokyo Prefecture, Japan) is a Japanese astronaut.

Career

Akihiko Hoshide 1992 received a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from Keio University and a Master of Science in Aerospace 1997 from the University of Houston. He is employed by the Japanese Space Agency JAXA as an astronaut.

Hoshide occurred in 1992 at the NASDA, worked there for two years in office Nagoya and was involved in the development of the H- II launch vehicle. 1994 to 1999 he worked in the Astronaut Office as an engineer for the astronaut training program. At the same time, he supported Koichi Wakata during his training for STS -72.

In February of 1999 Hoshide was selected as one of three Japanese astronauts for the International Space Station. He then started in April 1999 with the basic training for astronauts, which he completed in January 2001. Since April 2001 he has participated in the expanded ISS training and supported the development of parts for the laboratory Kibo and the H-IIA launch vehicle ( HTV ).

As at 1 October 2003, NASDA merged with the Institute of Space and Astronautical Science and the National Aerospace Laboratory, Hoshide went over to the squad of the new Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency ( JAXA ).

A training as a flight engineer for the Soyuz spacecraft he graduated in May 2004 at the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City from Russia.

Astronauts activity

Hoshide came in May 2004 to the Johnson Space Center, where he completed the training candidate for the American Space Shuttle and the ISS in February 2006. For this training include not only scientific and technical briefings and survival training on water and land, as well as flight training on the Northrop T -38.

STS -124

On May 31, 2008 aboard the space shuttle Discovery Hoshide as mission specialist for the first time into space. STS -124 was a flight that served the ISS expansion. Primary objective of the mission was the assembly of the Japanese Kibo research laboratories. Hoshide took the module as a representative of the Japanese space agency in operation. STS -124 was the second of three flights to install Kibo.

Extended stay on board the ISS

On November 18, 2009, JAXA announced that Hoshide is a member of ISS Expeditions 32 and 33. He started on 15 July 2012 with the Soyuz TMA- 05M to the ISS, where he works six months as a flight engineer. The landing took place on 19 November 2012.