Japan's aerospace agency to recruit new astronauts for the first time in 13 years

For the first time in 13 years, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) has announced that it would recruit new astronauts as part of the nation’s ambitious plan to participate in the US lunar exploration project. As peran ANI report, the announcement said, “The working area is Earth and space. A business trip without a family to the International Space Station or a long trip to a base on the lunar surface is possible.” The applications will be accepted from 20 December 2021 to 4 March 2022.

Reportedly, the announcement said that only Japanese nationals with normal vision, hearing and colour perception were allowed to apply. The height restrictions are 58.8 inches through 75 inches. Convicted offenders and others linked to extremist groups or parties are not allowed to participate in JAXA’s recruitment competition, the announcement said. In March 2022, the identity check shortlisting will take place which will be followed by an interview and tests for first stage winners. 

Ultimately, the results of the recruitment will be announced in February 2023 following the four-stage competition. Astronaut recruitment in Japan has been carried out only five times till now and just 11 people have passed the competition. Seven of them are presently on active duty. Reportedly, the last such competition was held in 2008 when three out of 963 candidates were shortlisted. 

Japan's JAXA Launches 9 Satellites To Test Space Technologies

Just earlier this month on November 9, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), quietly inserted nine satellites into orbit. On the solid-fuel Epsilon 5 rocket, the satellites were lifted off from the Uchinoura Space Center in Japan's Kagoshima Prefecture at around 6:25 am (IST). In an official statement released following the launch, the space agency said that "the rocket flew as planned" and released all the payloads one by one at an altitude of 600 kilometres. 

"We would like to express our deepest gratitude to all concerned parties for their cooperation in the launch of Epsilon Rocket No. 5", JAXA said in its statement. Notably, the November assignment of the Epsilon 5 rocket marked its fifth liftoff as all of its last four launches conducted in September 2013, December 2016, January 2018 and January 2019, were 100% successful, reported Space News citing JAXA's data. 

(IMAGE: Unsplash/Representative)