Photo/Illutration Koichi Wakata during an online news conference on April 5 (Shoko Tamaki)

Japanese astronaut Koichi Wakata said he felt great after his latest 5-month stay aboard the International Space Station, adding that despite numerous difficulties during the mission he felt a strong sense of teamwork as crew members from other countries pitched in to resolve them.

Wakata, Japan’s best-known spaceman, held an online news conference April 5 to reflect on his latest 157 days in space.

Wakata’s journey began in October 2022. He returned to Earth in March.

He is currently undergoing rehabilitation at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.

It was his fifth trip in space, a record for a Japanese astronaut.

Asked if the stay took a toll on his body, Wakata, 59, said, “I feel the same as before.”

Wakata said he made a point of maintaining good “dietary habits, sleep and exercise” to maintain his health.

During the mission Wakata went on two spacewalks to install a new solar array mounting platform.

“I had a ‘you-are-there’ feeling that was totally different from the sight of Earth I saw from inside the spaceship,” he recalled.

In December, a potential major problem emerged when coolant leaked from a Russian supply ship that was docked at the ISS.

Wakata mentioned that there were many troubles during his latest stay, but “our crew members and other countries’ operation teams worked together, and I felt the strength of teamwork.”

Wakata said he would support two astronaut candidates newly selected by JAXA.

“I strongly hope to use my own experience to help Japan’s human space exploration,” he said.

JAXA said Wakata’s latest stay in space brought his total time away from Earth to 504 days, a record for a Japanese astronaut.

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