Satoshi Furukawa
Encyclopedia
is a Japan
ese surgeon
and a JAXA astronaut
.
, Kanagawa, Japan. He enjoys baseball, bowling, music and traveling. He is married and has two children.
in 1989, and a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Medical Science from the same school in 2000.
From 1989 to 1999, Furukawa worked in the Department of Surgery at the University of Tokyo, as well as the Department of Anesthesiology at JR Tokyo General Hospital, the Department of Surgery at Ibaraki Prefectural Central Hospital and at Sakuragaoka Hospital.
(NASDA) as one of three Japanese astronaut candidates for the International Space Station
(ISS). He started the ISS Astronaut Basic Training program in April 1999 and was certified as an astronaut in January 2001.
Since April 2001, he has been participating in ISS Advanced Training, as well as supporting the development of the hardware and operation of the Japanese Experiment Module
“Kibo.”
On October 1, 2003, NASDA merged with ISAS (Institute of Space and Astronautical Science
) and NAL (National Aerospace Laboratory of Japan) and was renamed JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency
).
In May 2004, he completed Soyuz-TMA
Flight Engineer-1 training at the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center (GCTC), Star City, Russia.
Furukawa arrived at the Johnson Space Center in June 2004. In February 2006 he completed NASA Astronaut Candidate Training that included scientific and technical briefings, intensive instruction in Shuttle and International Space Station systems, physiological training, T-38 flight training, and water and wilderness survival training. Completion of this initial training qualified him for various technical assignments within the NASA Astronaut Office and flight assignment as a Mission Specialist on Space Shuttle mission.
In August 2007, Furukawa served as an aquanaut
during the NEEMO 13 project, an exploration research mission held in Aquarius
, the world's only undersea research laboratory
.
/29
long duration missions. The Soyuz TMA-02M
spacecraft carrying Furukawa, cosmonaut Sergey Volkov
and NASA astronaut Michael Fossum
lifted off from the Baikonour Cosmodrome on 7 June 2011.. Carrying the same crew, Soyuz TMA-02M undocked from the ISS at 11:00 pm GMT
on 21 November 2011, and the spacecraft soft-landed safely (albeit on its side) in Kazakhstan
at 2:26 am GMT on 22 November.
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese surgeon
Surgeon
In medicine, a surgeon is a specialist in surgery. Surgery is a broad category of invasive medical treatment that involves the cutting of a body, whether human or animal, for a specific reason such as the removal of diseased tissue or to repair a tear or breakage...
and a JAXA astronaut
Astronaut
An astronaut or cosmonaut is a person trained by a human spaceflight program to command, pilot, or serve as a crew member of a spacecraft....
.
Personal
Furukawa was born in YokohamaYokohama
is the capital city of Kanagawa Prefecture and the second largest city in Japan by population after Tokyo and most populous municipality of Japan. It lies on Tokyo Bay, south of Tokyo, in the Kantō region of the main island of Honshu...
, Kanagawa, Japan. He enjoys baseball, bowling, music and traveling. He is married and has two children.
Medical career
He graduated from Eiko high school, Kamakura, in 1983; received a Doctorate in Medicine from the University of TokyoUniversity of Tokyo
, abbreviated as , is a major research university located in Tokyo, Japan. The University has 10 faculties with a total of around 30,000 students, 2,100 of whom are foreign. Its five campuses are in Hongō, Komaba, Kashiwa, Shirokane and Nakano. It is considered to be the most prestigious university...
in 1989, and a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Medical Science from the same school in 2000.
From 1989 to 1999, Furukawa worked in the Department of Surgery at the University of Tokyo, as well as the Department of Anesthesiology at JR Tokyo General Hospital, the Department of Surgery at Ibaraki Prefectural Central Hospital and at Sakuragaoka Hospital.
NASDA/JAXA career
In February 1999, Furukawa was selected by the National Space Development Agency of JapanNational Space Development Agency of Japan
of Japan, or NASDA, was a Japanese national space agency established on October 1, 1969 under the National Space Development Agency Law only for peaceful purposes...
(NASDA) as one of three Japanese astronaut candidates for the International Space Station
International Space Station
The International Space Station is a habitable, artificial satellite in low Earth orbit. The ISS follows the Salyut, Almaz, Cosmos, Skylab, and Mir space stations, as the 11th space station launched, not including the Genesis I and II prototypes...
(ISS). He started the ISS Astronaut Basic Training program in April 1999 and was certified as an astronaut in January 2001.
Since April 2001, he has been participating in ISS Advanced Training, as well as supporting the development of the hardware and operation of the Japanese Experiment Module
Japanese Experiment Module
The Japanese Experiment Module , also known with the nickname , is a Japanese science module for the International Space Station developed by JAXA. It is the largest single ISS module. The first two pieces of the module were launched on space shuttle missions STS-123 and STS-124...
“Kibo.”
On October 1, 2003, NASDA merged with ISAS (Institute of Space and Astronautical Science
Institute of Space and Astronautical Science
is a Japanese national research organization of astrophysics using rockets, astronomical satellites and interplanetary probes. It is a division of Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency .- History :...
) and NAL (National Aerospace Laboratory of Japan) and was renamed JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency
Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency
The , or JAXA, is Japan's national aerospace agency. Through the merger of three previously independent organizations, JAXA was formed on October 1, 2003, as an Independent Administrative Institution administered by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology and the...
).
In May 2004, he completed Soyuz-TMA
Soyuz-TMA
The Soyuz-TMA is a recent revision of the Soyuz spacecraft, superseded in 2010 by the Soyuz TMA-M..It is used by the Russian Federal Space Agency for human spaceflight...
Flight Engineer-1 training at the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center (GCTC), Star City, Russia.
Furukawa arrived at the Johnson Space Center in June 2004. In February 2006 he completed NASA Astronaut Candidate Training that included scientific and technical briefings, intensive instruction in Shuttle and International Space Station systems, physiological training, T-38 flight training, and water and wilderness survival training. Completion of this initial training qualified him for various technical assignments within the NASA Astronaut Office and flight assignment as a Mission Specialist on Space Shuttle mission.
In August 2007, Furukawa served as an aquanaut
Aquanaut
An Aquanaut is any individual who remains underwater, exposed to the ambient pressure, long enough to come into equilibrium with his or her breathing media. Usually this is done in an underwater habitat on the seafloor for a period equal to or greater than 24 continuous hours without returning to...
during the NEEMO 13 project, an exploration research mission held in Aquarius
Aquarius (laboratory)
The NOAA Aquarius Reef Base is an underwater habitat located in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, adjacent to Conch Reef. It is one of the few underwater research facilities in the world dedicated to science...
, the world's only undersea research laboratory
Underwater habitat
Underwater habitats are underwater structures in which people can live for extended periods and carry out most of the basic human functions of a 24-hour day, such as working, resting, eating, attending to personal hygiene, and sleeping...
.
Spaceflight experience
Furukawa was assigned as a flight engineer to the International Space Station Expedition 28Expedition 28
Expedition 28 was the 28th long-duration expedition to the International Space Station, starting on 23 May 2011 with the departure of the members of Expedition 27. The first three members of the expedition arrived on the ISS aboard the Soyuz TMA-21 spacecraft on 4 April 2011, and were joined on 9...
/29
Expedition 29
Expedition 29 was the 29th long-duration expedition to the International Space Station . The expedition formally began with the departure from the ISS of the Soyuz TMA-21 spacecraft at 00:38 UTC on on 16 September 2011...
long duration missions. The Soyuz TMA-02M
Soyuz TMA-02M
Soyuz TMA-21 was a Soyuz flight to the International Space Station . It transported three members of the Expedition 27 crew to the ISS, and docked at the station on 6 April 2011. TMA-21 is the 109th flight of a Soyuz spacecraft, the first of which launched in 1967...
spacecraft carrying Furukawa, cosmonaut Sergey Volkov
Sergey Volkov
Sergey Volkov may refer to:*Sergei Volkov , Russian footballer*Sergey Alexandrovich Volkov , Russian cosmonaut*Sergey Nikolayevich Volkov , Soviet figure skater...
and NASA astronaut Michael Fossum
Michael E. Fossum
Michael Edward Fossum is an American astronaut. He flew into space on board the NASA Space Shuttle missions STS-121 and STS-124 as a mission specialist and is currently aboard the international space station as commander of Expedition 29.-Education:Michael Fossum spent his early life in McAllen,...
lifted off from the Baikonour Cosmodrome on 7 June 2011.. Carrying the same crew, Soyuz TMA-02M undocked from the ISS at 11:00 pm GMT
Greenwich Mean Time
Greenwich Mean Time is a term originally referring to mean solar time at the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, London. It is arguably the same as Coordinated Universal Time and when this is viewed as a time zone the name Greenwich Mean Time is especially used by bodies connected with the United...
on 21 November 2011, and the spacecraft soft-landed safely (albeit on its side) in Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan , officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a transcontinental country in Central Asia and Eastern Europe. Ranked as the ninth largest country in the world, it is also the world's largest landlocked country; its territory of is greater than Western Europe...
at 2:26 am GMT on 22 November.