Takao Doi
Takao Doi is a Japanese engineer, astronomer, former JAXA/NASDA astronaut, and two-time Space Shuttle . His career is especially important because he became the first Japanese astronaut to perform a .
- Born
- September 18, 1954
- Died
- N/A
- Birthplace
- Tokyo,Japan
Flights
2
Spacewalks
2
EVA time
12 hours, 43 minutes
In space
31 days, 19 hours, 35 minutes
Bio
Doi earned a doctorate in aerospace engineering from the University of Tokyo and later completed a doctorate in astronomy at Rice University. Before his flights, he worked in propulsion, microgravity technology, and Japanese space-program research, including work with NASDA and NASA research centers.
His first flight was STS-87 aboard Columbia in 1997. During that mission, Doi performed two EVAs with Winston Scott, including work associated with the manual capture of the Spartan satellite and EVA tools and techniques for future station assembly.
Doi returned to space on STS-123 aboard Endeavour in 2008, a major ISS assembly mission that delivered the first pressurized component of Japan's Kibō laboratory and Canada's Dextre robotics system. He retired from astronaut duty in 2009 and later worked with the United Nations and Kyoto University.