Yamazaki Credit - NASA

Personal: Female, Married, One child. Born in Matsudo, Chiba, Japan. Masters Engineering NASDA NASDA

Astronaut Career

Astronaut Group: NASDA Group 3 - 1999, NASA Group 19 - 2004. Active Entered space service: 10 February 1999.

Underwent cosmonaut training in Russia, then Astronaut training in USA. Official NASA Biography

NAOKO YAMAZAKI
JAXA ASTRONAUT (MISSION SPECIALIST CANDIDATE)

PERSONAL DATA: Born in 1970 in Matsudo, Chiba Prefecture, Japan. Married to Taichi Yamazaki, a flight controller with Mitsubishi Space Software. They have one child, Yuki. She enjoys scuba diving, snow skiing, flying and music. Her parents, Akito and Kimie Sumino reside in Matsudo.

EDUCATION: Graduated from Ochanomizu University Senior High School in 1989; Received a Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Tokyo in 1993 and a Master’s degree in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Tokyo in 1996.

ORGANIZATIONS: The Japan Society for Aeronautical and Space Sciences; Japanese Rocket Society.

EXPERIENCE: Yamazaki joined the National Space Development Agency of Japan (NASDA) in 1996 and was involved in the Japanese Experiment Module (JEM) system integration, and specifically assigned developmental tasks. She also conducted failure analysis and assembly/initial operation procedure development in the JEM Project Team. From June 1998 to March 2000, she was involved in the development of the ISS Centrifuge (life science experiment facility) and conducted conceptual framework and preliminary design in the Centrifuge Project Team.

In February 1999, Yamazaki was selected by NASDA (currently JAXA) as one of three Japanese astronaut candidates for the International Space Station (ISS). She attended the ISS Astronaut Basic Training program starting in April 1999 and was certified as an astronaut in September 2001. Since 2001, she has participated in ISS Advanced Training, in addition to supporting the development of the hardware and operation of the Japanese Experiment Module “Kibo” and the Centrifuge.

On October 1, 2003, NASDA merged with ISAS (Institute of Space & Astronautic Science) and NAL (National Aerospace Laboratory of Japan) and was renamed JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency).

In May 2004, she completed Soyuz-TMA Flight Engineer-1 training at the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center (GCTC), Star City, Russia.

NASA EXPERIENCE: Yamazaki joined NASA’s Astronaut Candidate Training in June, 2004. Astronaut Candidate Training includes orientation briefings and tours, numerous 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. Successful completion of this initial training will qualify her for various technical assignments within the Astronaut Office.

JUNE 2004