Koichi Wakata is a Japanese astronaut from JAXA and a veteran of two NASA space shuttle missions. Wakata, born in Omiya, Saitama, earned a masters degree in applied mathematics from Kyushu University in 1989. He worked as a structural engineer for Japan Airlines. Wakata was selected as an astronaut candidate in 1992 and trained at NASA's Johnson Space Center; he flew aboard STS-72 in 1996 and STS-92 as a mission specialist. Wikipedia
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Koichi Wakata (Ph.D.) ASTRONAUT, JAPAN AEROSPACE EXPLORATION AGENCY (JAXA) PERSONAL DATA: Born in 1963, in Saitama, Japan. www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/wakata.html