Osamu Suwa and Ayu Yoneda, who were selected as astronaut candidates in February, spoke to the media in Tokyo on February 2. This was the first time the two had met face-to-face at a press conference, and they each expressed their enthusiasm.
In February, Suwa and Yoneda passed the Japan astronaut selection exam, which was held for the first time in 2 years.
The two held a press conference at the JAXA = Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency office in Tokyo on March 14.
This was the first time the two had met face-to-face at a press conference, and Mr. Suwa, who went to work for the first time as a JAXA employee on March 2, said, "I'm really excited because a lot of new things will start today.
He also expressed his aspirations for the future, saying, "I want to work while always thinking about what I can do and what kind of contribution I can make."
On the other hand, Mr. Yoneda, who has been working since April and started training earlier than Mr. Suwa, said, "It was a three-month period in which I once again felt the grandeur of the time grandeur of the space industry in which I am involved, and the grandeur of the spatial horizontal connection as an organization," and said, "I am very happy to be able to start training with Mr. Suwa from today."
The two will be trained by NASA = National Aeronautics and Space Administration and other organizations and will be officially certified as astronauts in about two years.