Mr. Wakata Becomes the First Japanese Captain
Talking about his aspirations at JAXA
July 29, 2013, Tsukuba, Japan - Japanese astronaut Koichi Wakata poses for photographers with a plaque during a news conference at the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency in Tsukuba, Ibaraki Prefecture, some 55 km northeast of Tokyo, on Monday, July 29, 2013. Wakata, 49, will become the first Japanese astronaut to serve as commander at the International Space Station. He will board the Russian spacecraft Soyuz slated for launch on Nov. 7. (Photo by AFLO) UUK -mis-