Koichi Wakata

Astronaut & CTO

Koichi Wakata serves as an astronaut and Chief Technology Officer for the Asia-Pacific region at Axiom Space, the leading company building the world’s first commercial space station. He possesses exceptional space experience spanning five spaceflights and over 504 days in space, a record in Japanese spaceflight history. Born in 1963, he holds a Bachelor’s degree in Aeronautical Engineering, a Master’s degree in Applied Mechanics, and a Doctorate in Aerospace Engineering from Kyushu University. He worked as a structural engineer at Japan Airlines before being selected as an astronaut in 1992 by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). He trained at NASA’s Johnson Space Center. In 1996, he became the first Japanese astronaut to serve as a mission specialist on a Space Shuttle flight. In 2000, he participated in the first Japanese mission to assemble the International Space Station (ISS). In 2014, he commanded Expedition 39, becoming the first Japanese commander of the ISS. He performed two spacewalks totaling 14 hours and 2 minutes. He served as Vice President of JAXA before retiring in March 2024. He is considered one of the world’s most experienced astronauts, distinguished by a unique blend of engineering expertise and hands-on experience in the space environment. He currently focuses on developing commercial space station infrastructure and transferring space knowledge to the private sector. He will participate in LEAP 2026 to share his vision on the future of the space economy and commercial space technology, areas of growing interest to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, which established the Saudi Space Agency and sent two Saudi astronauts in 2023.