Society

Astronaut Noguchi excited about 3rd spaceflight

Nov 10 (NHK) - Japanese astronaut Soichi Noguchi says he's excited about his third mission to the International Space Station.

The 52-year-old Noguchi has been chosen as a crewmember for the ISS expedition to begin around the end of 2019. He's expected to stay in the station for about 6 months. At age 54, he would be the oldest Japanese astronaut to fly to space.

Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Noguchi said it was unimaginable when he was a child that someone over 50 would travel to space, as people in those days retired at age 55.

Noguchi is expected to train in Japan and the United States this month.

His first spaceflight was in 2005, when he performed repair and assembly work on the ISS. Noguchi was the 6th Japanese astronaut to fly in space.

Since December 2009, he has spent more than 160 days on the ISS.

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