"She takes care of us," said Soichi Noguchi, a Japanese astronaut who will fly on the mission.

Wakata was the first Japanese astronaut to take part in a long duration mission on the station.

He is the fifth Japanese astronaut to fly in space and the fourth to fly on the space shuttle.

The seven-member crew included a Japanese astronaut, who was the first Japanese woman in space.

He is currently the first Japanese astronaut preparing to go on a lunar landing, thus achieving the brothers' childhood dream.

He is the Japanese astronaut who has spent the most time working in space, having done several missions on the ISS.

Dr. Mukai, who also has a doctorate in physiology, is the second Japanese astronaut to fly on a shuttle.

On August 30, 2012, Hoshide became the third Japanese astronaut to walk in space.

Three Russian cosmonauts, two American and one Japanese astronauts made up the Expedition 23 crew.

This marked the first time that a Japanese astronaut assisted in the capture of a Japanese spacecraft.