Kimiya Yui

Kimiya Yui
JAXA Astronaut
Nationality Japanese
Status Active
Born (1970-01-30) January 30, 1970
Kawakami, Nagano, Japan
Rank Lieutenant Colonel(Ret.), JASDF
Time in space
141 days
Selection 2009 JAXA Group
Missions Soyuz TMA-17M (Expedition 44/45)
Mission insignia

Kimiya Yui (油井 亀美也, Yui Kimiya, born January 30, 1970[1] in Kawakami, Nagano, Japan) is a Japanese astronaut from the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). He was selected for the agency in 2009.[2]

Biography

Yui, from Nagano Prefecture, enrolled in the Japan Air Self-Defense Force after he graduated from the National Defense Academy of Japan in 1992. He has piloted a F-15 Eagle fighter as a test pilot, and worked in the Air Staff Office's Defense Planning Division since December 2008 as a Lieutenant Colonel when he was selected as an astronaut candidate along with Takuya Onishi.

JAXA Career

Yui is the first Japanese astronaut with military background, and was forced to retire due to the historical policy by Japanese government which separates the scientific field from military works.

After astronaut candidate training, he was certified as an ISS astronaut in July 2011.

Yui served as an aquanaut aboard the Aquarius underwater laboratory during the NEEMO 16 undersea exploration mission in June 2012.[3] The NEEMO 16 crew successfully "splashed down" at 11:05 am on June 11.[4] On the morning of June 12, Yui and his crewmates officially became aquanauts, having spent over 24 hours underwater.[5] The crew safely returned to the surface on June 22.[6]

In November 2016, Yui became Chief of the JAXA Astronaut Group.[7]

Expedition 44/45

On July 22, 2015, Yui launched to the International Space Station as part of Expedition 44/45 aboard the Soyuz TMA-17M.[8]

See also

  • A Beautiful PlanetIMAX documentary film showing scenes of the Earth, featuring Kimiya Yui and other ISS astronauts.

References

  1. http://spaceflight101.com/iss-expedition-45/kimiya-yui/
  2. Xinhua News Agency Staff Writers (February 26, 2009). "Two Japanese Picked As Candidates For Astronauts". Space.TV Corporation. Retrieved April 17, 2012.
  3. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (April 16, 2012). "NASA - NASA Announces 16th Undersea Exploration Mission Dates and Crew". NASA. Retrieved April 17, 2012.
  4. The NEEMO Mission Management and Topside Support Team (June 11, 2012). "NEEMO 16 Mission Day 1 - Status Report" (PDF). NASA. Retrieved June 13, 2012.
  5. The NEEMO Mission Management and Topside Support Team (June 12, 2012). "NEEMO 16 Mission Day 2 - Status Report" (PDF). NASA. Retrieved June 13, 2012.
  6. The NEEMO Mission Management and Topside Support Team (June 22, 2012). "NEEMO 16 Mission Day 12 - Status Report" (PDF). NASA. Retrieved July 11, 2012.
  7. "Kimiya Yui". JAXA. March 28, 2017. Retrieved October 13, 2018.
  8. "Soyuz TMA-17M launches three-man crew for space station". Collectspace.com. 22 July 2015. Retrieved 11 December 2015.


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