Koichi WAKATA
Astronaut and Chief Technology Officer
Axiom Space

A veteran astronaut with over 32 years of experience in human space activities and a recognized leader in the global space community, Koichi Wakata leads the expansion of Axiom Space's business and strategic presence in the Asia-Pacific region and contributes to the development of Axiom Station, the worldʼs first commercial space station, and the Axiom Extravehicular Activity Unit (Ax-EMU) of the Artemis generation.

He has completed five space flights (the most for a Japanese astronaut), stayed in space for 504 days (the longest for a Japanese astronaut) on four types of spacecraft (Space Shuttle, Soyuz, Crew Dragon, and ISS). In 1996, he flew as the first Japanese Space Shuttle Mission Specialist, in 2000, he was the first Japanese astronaut to participate in the ISS construction mission, and in 2014, he became the first Japanese ISS commander. He has conducted two extravehicular activities totaling 14 hours and 2 minutes. He operated five types of space robotics, including the Space Shuttle, ISS, and Japan's Engineering Test Satellite VII, and has captured three spacecraft (satellites and ISS cargo supply vehicle) with robotics. He participated in the on-orbit assembly missions of the ISS components including the Japanese Experiment Module "Kibo".

He has served as the ISS Operations Branch Chief of the NASA Astronaut Office, the JAXA Astronaut Group Chief, the first astronaut to serve as JAXA ISS Program Manager, and JAXA Vice President for the Human Spaceflight Technology Directorate and the International Space Exploration Center. Wakata retired from JAXA in March 2024 and joined Axiom Space in April 2024.

He holds a Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering, a Master of Science in Applied Mechanics and a Bachelor of Science in Aeronautical Engineering from Kyushu University, Japan.