Astronaut Takuya Onishi is determined to "use the ISS to the fullest" and becomes the third Japanese captain of the ISS

Astronaut Takuya Onishi, 48, who will begin a long duration stay in the International Space Station (ISS) from March, spoke to Science Portal and shared his enthusiasm, saying, "I want to use the unique experimental environment of the ISS to the fullest." This will be his second flight since 2016. The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) announced on December 2 that Onishi will serve as the ISS captain during the second half of his stay. He is the third Japanese captain. Expectations are high for his teamwork capabilities, which he cultivated through his experience as a passenger aircraft pilot.

"Behind-the-scenes" leader

Onishi will depart with three astronauts from the U.S. and Russia aboard the "Crew Dragon 10" spacecraft of the U.S. company SpaceX. He will stay in the ISS for approximately six months to conduct scientific experiments. He will participate in the ISS Missions 72 and 73 and serve as the ISS captain during the 73rd mission. The captain, being the person in charge of the site, supervises astronauts and coordinates with ground control to monitor the situation and activities on board and to carry out the predetermined plan. In addition to monitoring the health of astronauts, he is responsible for managing the situation on the site in the event of a fire, air leakage, or other emergencies.

Onishi will become the third Japanese captain following Mr. Koichi Wakata (61) in 2014 and Mr. Akihiko Hoshide (55) in 2009. He commented through JAXA, "I am not a leader who takes the lead, but rather I am a type of leader who lets members to move freely and supports the whole operation while remaining as a behind-the-scenes member of the team. I will perform my duties to the best of my abilities in my own style."

During his stay, JAXA will use the Japanese experiment module "Kibo" to conduct experiments for developing a method to evaluate solid material combustion in zero gravity. The other planned experiments include an experiment using flies to study the effects of cancer drugs in zero gravity, an experiment to reproduce the formation of fine particles called chondrules in a furnace to understand the planet formation process, a demonstration of a carbon dioxide-removal system, the release of a nanosatellite into space, an experiment to elucidate the mechanism by which cells sense gravity, and an experiment to produce high-quality silicon-germanium crystals. It is expected that Onishi will be in charge of the majority of these experiments.

Aiming to culminate stay with a "Second High-School Baseball Championship"

Onishi said that over the past year or so, he has made mostly steady progress in training for his long-term stay in the ISS. At a press conference late November 2024 and in an interview with Science Portal, he compared this flight to a high-school baseball team participating in the Japanese High-School Baseball Championship, which he likes to watch. "The first flight was similar to a team competing in the spring or summer tournament for the first time. This is my second tournament. I already have an image in my mind regarding the event waiting for me next, what I should focus on in a practice, and how my performance should be for the real. I think this was the biggest reason why I finished my (training) in such a time."

JAXA astronauts customarily set a slogan-like theme for each long-term stay. In this mission, the slogan is "Everything can be done in Kibo." Kibo is the Japanese experiment module attached to the ISS. Onishi explained the reason for the theme, referring to the "Artemis Project," an international lunar exploration project led by the U.S. for which two Japanese astronauts have already been selected to land on the moon, as follows.

"The low Earth orbit, where the ISS is located, is increasingly being used by the private sector, while national organizations, such as National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and JAXA are trying to steer a course to the distant Moon and Mars. Space development is in a transitional stage. However, during my last flight, I experienced firsthand that the ISS is a very unique experimental environment. We should continue to use it to the best of our ability until its operation ends. The ISS will operate until 2030, but its operation may end there. Considering that younger astronauts are being trained, this is probably the last time I will go to the ISS. Therefore, I want to make the most of the experience and knowledge I have accumulated over the years and bring it to culmination."

Experience as a flight director, a great source of inspiration

It has already been eight years since his last flight, and the usage of the ISS has changed. A symbolic example is the fact that astronauts now spend time with tablets, he said. "Kibo" also seems to have reached a stage where it should be further utilized. "During the last mission, Kibo was still in the process of being converted to a platform, or in other words, it was still in the demonstration stage. For example, I was in charge of the initial functional verification of the experimental device "electrostatic levitation furnace" (a device for examining materials by melting them while they float in zero gravity). Back then, there were many problems and glitches, but now it is running almost at full capacity. I'm very much looking forward to using it again this time."

While on the ground, astronauts continue to participate in various activities, such as developing equipment and instruments for use in space, assisting other astronauts during their stay in the ISS, training to maintain their physical fitness, and attending various debriefing sessions. For Onishi, his experience as a flight director of "Kibo" has been the most rewarding. He is the coordinator of operational control, issuing various instructions from the control room. Immediately after his last flight, he said he strongly desired this job.

"When I was working in space, it was hard for me to visualize the actions of the ground control staff. The control and astronauts are the two wheels of a vehicle, and for a space experiment to proceed smoothly, both must work together well. I think experience I gained while actually serving as a flight director will help me on this flight," he said. "Even though I work on the ground and think, 'It's fine, it looks easy,' there are times when I don't feel in sync with astronauts. Conversely, there are times when things seem daunting at first, but go smoothly because we work in perfect harmony. I'll do my best to increase such (latter) experiences."

Curious about differences between spacecrafts. My personal favorite is...

The spacecraft used in the previous flight to and from the ISS was the traditional Russian Soyuz spacecraft, which has been in operation with minor changes since 1967. By contrast, this time it is "Crew Dragon," a state-of-the-art U.S. civilian spacecraft. Onishi, a former ANA pilot, is highly interested in differences in the characteristics between the two. At the press conference, he said, "Although both are categorized as a spaceship, they have very different characteristics."

"Crew Dragons are fully automated and highly developed for remote control from the ground. For example, there are manual cars and automatic cars, and everyone has their own preferences. Similarly, Soyuz was more interesting to me because there was a lot of room for astronauts to perform tasks manually, and it was fun from a pilot's point of view. However, as technology evolved, it was inevitable that a spacecraft like Crew Dragon would appear on the scene. I guess it's the tide of times as there will come an era where you don't need to be a professional astronaut to go to space with minimal training in the future."

He also expressed his eagerness to perform extravehicular activities (EVA), something he did not have a chance to do last time. "I think having experience in EVAs will be a major factor (in selecting astronauts for the Artemis mission to the Moon). Hence, I will be very happy if I can perform EVA during this long stay. However, EVAs are determined through international coordination, and I do not want to hold high expectations," he said, choosing his words carefully. Of the three fellow astronauts from the same period (Mr. Kimiya Yui (54) and Mr. Norishige Kanai (48)), only Mr. Kanai has experience in EVAs.

Moon landings provide an opportunity for "social conditions for challenge spirit"

How does Onishi understand the significance and challenges of the Artemis Project? "I see it as very simple. Humans are simply creatures who have evolved their civilization based on a continuous quest to know what they don't know. It is a very simple and natural process to go out and explore more and more in the universe. Therefore, it's really a very natural evolutionary process to go back to the Moon and then to Mars."

The manned Moon landing of the U.S. Apollo 11 in 1969 was said to have excited the whole world, including Japanese society. With the Artemis Project, Japanese astronauts will finally stand on the Moon. Although it has been more than half a century since Apollo has landed, this is undoubtedly a big story. However, it is hard to deny that the interest in the project, except for those involved and space fans, has not been very high. When asked about this, Onishi responded with the following powerful words.

"I certainly feel the same dilemma. However, in the U.S., for example, the aircraft recovery in the recent launch of the SpaceX's Starship (next-generation rocket) has attracted considerable attention. There is probably still room for people to be excited about technical difficulties. I think that, eventually, more attention will inevitably be paid to the upcoming lunar exploration that is more advanced than the previous (Apollo) program. If we can share it with people on the ground through live broadcasting using information technology (IT), we can arouse their interest. I hope to create a very positive situation in which the whole world supports our willingness to try new things, just as Apollo did. I hope it will be an opportunity for humanity to rise to the challenge and build momentum for pioneering science and technology."

Onishi was born in Tokyo in 1975. In 1998, he graduated from the Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics, School of Engineering, the University of Tokyo, and joined All Nippon Airways. After serving as a co-pilot, he was selected as a JAXA astronaut candidate in 2009. He was certified as an astronaut in 2011. During July-October 2016, he stayed in the ISS for about four months, performing tasks such as capturing the U.S. civilian cargo transporter "Cygnus-6" with its robotic arm, supporting EVAs, improving the Kibo's equipment, and conducting numerous experiments. In 2020, he was certified as the JAXA's flight director for Kibo's operation and control and has supported astronauts' activities from the ground. He enjoys scuba diving, listening to music, and reading.

He developed interest in space after watching the movie "Star Wars" and reading books when he was in elementary school. When he was a student, he saw the movie "Apollo 13" and became very aware of the profession of an astronaut. While working as a co-pilot of a passenger plane, he learned about an opening for an astronaut through a newspaper report, and remembering his former dream, he decided to take on the challenge.

"Interest in Science" through Social Media

While refraining from asking questions that were asked in previous interviews with Onishi, there were many stories from those interviews that remained in the author's mind. One of them was that he cherished his time as a passenger airline pilot. The main point was that, despite the ever-changing situations, he paid attention to the tasks being performed by his teammates and approached them only when timing was right. I felt that maintaining an attitude of performing one's role along with paying attention to people around himself to achieve one's goal in a huge system would serve as a guide for our social life as well.

During his last flight, he wrote on social media about his daily life and feelings in a more detailed and frank manner than other astronauts have ever done. Again, he stated that he will "post as much as I can" on X (formerly Twitter). Onishi said, "I want children to be interested in science. Space is the easiest area to become interested in." But of course, it is also a good read for grown-ups.

At a press conference late November 2024, questions about EVA were raised several times, but no one, including the author, asked about his desire to become a captain. Onishi, appears to be an intelligent, mild-mannered, and quiet person. So, was he perhaps not the typical captain personality in the eyes of reporters? The news of "Captain Onishi" was announced later. Although the ISS is expected to end its operations not so far into the future, the news gives us a sense that Japanese people are still breathing new life into the ship and will positively impact frontlines for the future of space explorations.