Japanese Astronaut Onishi Becomes ISS Commander

Apr 19 (News On Japan) - Japanese astronaut Takuya Onishi has been appointed commander of the International Space Station (ISS), becoming the third Japanese to assume the role.

"I took over command of the International Space Station on April 18th, 2025, and officially became the commander," said Onishi.

A change-of-command ceremony was held aboard the ISS on April 18th, during which Onishi became the third Japanese national to take command of the station.

In his remarks, Onishi stated, "I believe this appointment is recognition by the international community of Japan's contributions to manned space exploration, and a sign of the expectations for our future."

Onishi arrived at the ISS last month aboard SpaceX’s Crew Dragon spacecraft. He is scheduled to remain on the station for six months, conducting various space experiments, including those in the Japanese experiment module Kibo.

Source: TBS

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