Japan to recruit first new astronauts in 13 years

Plan on getting rides from non-Japanese.

Fantastic news! Pretty much every boys dream job is to be an astronaut. I look forward to the day when a Japanese astronaut takes their first steps on The Moon.

Japan is back!

What’s the reason for lowering the height requirement to 149.5cm instead of a round number like 150cm?

They are looking for a few astronauts with at least 3 years work experience who are rookies but have lowered the height requirements and there's no science degree required and women are strongly encouraged but there's no gender quotas and your English ability will be tested.

They want to establish a recruiting system that matches the current time .

It appears someone is looking at a 12 hour clock but reading it in 24 hr time and pretending to be sophisticated.

Did you say 13pm ?

Houston we have a problem.

More excuses to use the multiple money printing machines that Japan bought with the recent stimulus package.

Nice picture.

The selection exam will be very hard anyway. 1 or few recruits for potentially millions of candidates.

What’s the reason for lowering the height requirement to 149.5cm instead of a round number like 150cm?

Obviously it is to help women qualify (but of course there is no quota).

Nice photo but not necessarily certain if the rainbow tower was a specific editorial choice or just coincidence to accompany the story’s content of JAXA looking for a diverse pool of candidates?

A friend; beautiful, poised, athletic, highly-intelligent, college-graduate and well-skilled in English; lamented being just .5cm under the major Japanese airlines height requirement (160cm w/out shoes) for crew members. Good to see JAXA has realistic criteria for their future astronauts:

- “We want to establish a (recruiting) system that matches the current time, Previously we limited candidates to those with a natural science degree, but many of us agreed to make it not a requirement." However, written exams will include university-level questions on science, technology, engineering and maths, with the applicants' English ability also tested...looking to recruit "a few" astronauts with at least three years of workplace experience.

There is no age requirement or gender quotas and the agency has lowered its height requirement to 149.5 centimeters.

A simple story about picking the next group of Japanese astronauts, Many of the current crop have spent time on the ISS… and most posters have something snide or negative to say,

Good luck to those selected and I envy you.

What’s the reason for lowering the height requirement to 149.5cm instead of a round number like 150cm?

I believe there is also a height restriction (above 190cms) because the space suits aren't "one size fits all". You might think that every astronaut would get a custom fit new space suit, but the truth is space suits cost millions of dollars to make. To lower the height minimum from 150 to 149.5cms probably means the smaller sized suits have been deemed safe (fit) for people 149.5cms. Or, maybe they've recently made some smaller suits and gear to accommodate that height.

I respect the dedication that it takes to become an astronaut and prepare for one mission. You basically have to learn to become a "jack of all trades." That is in addition to dedication to your area of expertise that initially qualified you for the job.

"Women are strongly encouraged"

Men don't bother applying

"applicants no longer have to hold a science degree."

Not sure that is a good thing. Everything in space and the space crafts is science. In space when things go awry, you have to really have a scientific mind to solve problems. Science degrees teach critical thinking and scientific methods.

Good to hear that from BD.

Fighto!Today  07:48 am JST

Fantastic news! Pretty much every boys dream job is to be an astronaut. I look forward to the day when a Japanese astronaut takes their first steps on The Moon.

It certainly has been my dream and maybe by the time I'm William Shatner's age I may be lucky too. And JAXA has made some first already with asteroid exploration and has done some lunar exploration with robots.

So if they're going to have astronauts, what will the Japanese term be? The US has 'astronauts', Russia has 'cosmonauts' and China has 'taikonauts'.

The headline reads as if new recruits have bin already made but the article appears to be looking for new recruits.

Has Astronauts made any differences to the world? Why spend so much to the outer space where we don't belong?

What’s the reason for lowering the height requirement to 149.5cm instead of a round number like 150cm?

The cynic in me is wondering whether one of the agency's boss's kids is just short of 150cm.

@BackpackingNepal

Has Astronauts made any differences to the world? Why spend so much to the outer space where we don't belong?

I agree. They should be spending the money to solve real world problems on earth. It is just like Musk and Bezos spending billions on trying to get to Mars. Mars is not realistic. Musk and Bezos should use the money to be solving real world problems on earth that have some positive effects on humans. Perhaps investing in trying to invent new renewable energy technologies since solar and wind are not very efficient.