In a bid to recruit younger astronauts, Japan has selected two candidates for its lunar mission: a doctor and a banking specialist, chosen from a pool of 4,100 applications nationwide.
According to Bloomberg, the Japanese government has selected one doctor and one banking staff member to work domestically for the astronaut team as part of the country’s first space mission in over a decade. This marks a significant step for Japan, placing the nation into the space race alongside the U.S., China, and others.
Billionaire Yusaku Maezawa during astronaut training in Moscow, Russia. (Photo: AP).
Ayu Yoneda (28 years old), a doctor at the Tokyo Red Cross Medical Center, and Makoto Suwa (46 years old), a long-time employee at the World Bank’s Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery, are the fortunate individuals selected for the astronaut crew. Bloomberg reports that the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) chose them from the 4,100 applications submitted since April 2022.
Ayu Yoneda will also become Japan’s third female astronaut to participate in training for spaceflight. Currently, all six JAXA astronauts are male.
This special astronaut selection process has helped JAXA address a crucial issue: the lack of younger astronauts. In fact, the agency currently has only six active astronauts, with an average age of 52.
In 2022, JAXA projected that the number of members would dwindle to just two by 2030, as four of them reach retirement age at 60. Meanwhile, the average age of American astronauts is 34, according to NASA.
Ayu Yoneda (left) and Makoto Suwa (right) are the selected astronauts. (Photo: KYODO).
“The journey ahead will certainly not be easy. But if possible, I want to set foot on the moon,” Dr. Ayu Yoneda told reporters on February 28.
The future astronaut expressed her surprise and pride at being chosen from among 4,100 applications. “I feel a sense of responsibility and that I am taking on an important mission,” she said at the event.
She has dreamed of becoming an astronaut since reading manga about Japan’s first female astronaut, Chiaki Mukai. Yoneda aims to study the effects of space travel on human health. “Soon, it will be an era where everyone will travel to space,” she shared.
Banking specialist Makoto Suwa also expressed his excitement to the extent that he couldn’t sleep. He was born and raised in Tsukuba, home to many research institutes and the JAXA facility. As an expert in ancient climates, Suwa hopes to explore climate change on Mars after this trip.
“Studying the Moon and Mars will not only enhance our knowledge about these planets but also provide insights about Earth,” he stated.
According to Phys, Yoneda and Suwa will undergo training in a two-year program, and if successful, they will participate in missions at the International Space Station (ISS) and become the first Japanese astronauts to set foot on the Moon.
In 2021, JAXA raised the standards for astronaut applications, requiring candidates to hold advanced scientific qualifications or specific engineering degrees. Surprisingly, many recent applications have also included sales staff and consultants.
Chairman Hiroshi Yamakawa hopes to hold another recruitment drive within the next five years to find younger astronauts and bring space science programs closer to the public. “The responsibilities of astronauts will not change but will grow larger. Therefore, we will continue to accept applications from diverse candidates,” Yamakawa said.
In May 2022, Japan and the U.S. announced their collaboration in NASA’s Artemis program to send Japanese astronauts to the Moon by the end of this decade.
