Astronaut Wakata Koichi to lead Japan subsidiary of US space firm

A US space technology company aiming to develop a successor to the International Space Station said astronaut Wakata Koichi will lead the firm’s Japanese subsidiary to be launched in July.

Axiom Space outlined its business plan during a news conference in Tokyo on Thursday, with Wakata in attendance. US space agency NASA plans to entrust the private sector with the development and running of a successor to the ISS.

Axiom Space said it is working to have four full-time resident astronauts on its own space station as early as 2030, when the ISS will end operations. The firm also said it is considering selecting one Japanese astronaut for the group, with Wakata among the candidates. Wakata said he will use his corporate position to ensure that Japanese technical expertise and talent honed on the ISS play an important role in the future.