FURUKAWA Satoshi

Born in Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan.

Graduated as a Doctor of Medicine from the University of Tokyo. In 2000, received Doctor of Philosophy in Medical Science, also from the University of Tokyo.

Worked in the former First Department of Surgery, The University of Tokyo Hospital and related hospitals, and engaged in clinical medicine and research of gastrointestinal surgery.

Selected as one of three Japanese astronaut candidates to work on the ISS by the National Space Development Agency of Japan (NASDA, currently Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) alongside Akihiko Hoshide and Naoko Yamazaki.

Commenced NASDA's Basic Training program.

Certified as an astronaut.

Participated in ISS Advanced Training.
Supported the development of the hardware and operations of Kibo, the Japanese Experiment Module of the International Space Station (ISS).

Certified as a Soyuz-TMA flight engineer.
In June, dispatched to NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC), going through NASA's Astronaut Candidate training for roughly 20 months and commencing training as a Mission Specialist candidate with NASA.

Qualified as a Mission Specialist with NASA.

Participated in the 13th NASA Extreme Environment Mission Operations (NEEMO) mission, an undersea expedition at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Aquarius habitat.

Assigned as a back-up crew member for ISS Expeditions 22 and 23 (known at the time as Expedition 20).

Assigned as a flight engineer for ISS Expeditions 28 and 29.

Spent 165 days aboard the ISS as a flight engineer with Expeditions 28 and 29.
During this stay, conducted experiments with Kibo and performed maintenance on the ISS, and supported the final Space Shuttle mission, STS-135.
Flew aboard the Soyuz TMA-02M spacecraft (27S) for both launch and return to Earth.

Appointed head of JAXA’s Space Biomedical Research Group, promoting research in the field of space medicine.

Assigned for another long-duration mission aboard the ISS, scheduled for 2023.

Currently aboard the ISS as a flight engineer for Expeditions 69 and 70.