Posted: Tue, Jan 3, 2006, 8:32 AM ET (1332 GMT)
The Japanese space agency JAXA is training two of its astronauts for long-duration missions on the International Space Station, even though the agency is unsure when those astronauts will fly. The Japanese newspaper Asahi Shimbun reported Tuesday that Koichi Wakata has already started training in Russia while colleague Soichi Noguchi will begin training there in mid-January. JAXA hopes to fly the astronauts on three- to six-month missions on the ISS to coincide with the arrival of the components of JAXA's Kibo laboratory module for the station. The launch of Kibo remains uncertain, though, as NASA juggles the shuttle launch schedule; Kibo's components are currently planned for launch in 2007 and 2008. Both Noguchi and Wakata have previously flown on shuttle missions; Noguchi flew on the most recent shuttle mission in mid-2005.

Related Links:

•  Asahi Shimbun article