Sôichi is a veteran JAXA astronaut of two prior space missions: Shuttle Discovery (STS-114) in July 2005 and Expeditions 22/23 in 2009-2010 -- on which he became the first JAXA astronaut to fly on the Russian Soyuz.
He holds a Master’s Degree in Aeronautical Engineering from Tokyo University and has accumulated 177 days off planet Earth. He will be the first international astronaut to fly on a U.S. spacecraft since Roberto Vittori of ESA on Shuttle Endeavour (STS-134) in May 2011.