Naoko Yamazaki

• STS- 131 (2010)

Naoko Yamazaki (Japanese山崎 直 子, Naoko Yamazaki, born 27 December 1970, Matsudo, Japan ) is a former Japanese astronaut. She was born Naoko Sumino (角 野 直 子, Naoko Sumino ).

Training

From 1975 to 1979 she lived with her parents in Sapporo. From 1986 on she wanted to be an astronaut since the Challenger was destroyed in an accident at this time and she had heard the story of U.S. astronaut Christa McAuliffe.

Yamazaki studied at the University of Tokyo Aeronautics and Astronautics, graduated in 1993 with a bachelor's degree and in 1996 with a master her studies there.

JAXA

She was chosen with two other candidates in 1999, when Japanese astronaut to visit the ISS. It is named after Chiaki Mukai the second Japanese woman who was selected. She has been trained as a specialist in centrifuge technology. From May 2004, she received the Johnson Space Center training for the Space Shuttle and the ISS, so that it can be used as a mission specialist.

On 5 December 2008, Yamazaki was identified as a mission specialist on the STS- 131 space station ISS. The launch of Space Shuttle Discovery on April 5, 2010, the landing on 20 April 2010. Naoko Yamazaki, making it the second wife of Japan, which took a trip into space. On board it was their job to operate the robotic arm of the space shuttle.

After the space flight

From December 2010, Yamazaki was on leave from the JAXA and worked as a part-time researcher at the University of Tokyo. 31 August 2011, she left the JAXA completely.

Private

Yamazaki is married since 1999 and has one daughter. Her hobbies include Japanese calligraphy, diving, jazz dance, flying, skiing and playing tennis.