Japanese Astronaut Kanai to Return from ISS on June 3

May 24, 2018

Tokyo- The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, or JAXA, said Thursday that astronaut Norishige Kanai will return from the International Space Station on June 3.

Kanai will come back to a steppe area in Kazakhstan aboard Russian spacecraft Soyuz at 9:40 a.m. Japan time on that day (12:40 a.m. GMT), according to JAXA.

It was the first spaceflight for Kanai, a former doctor of the Maritime Self-Defense Force.

During his five-and-a-half months aboard the ISS, Kanai has conducted scientific experiments in Japan's Kibo experimental module. He also completed work to replace parts for a robot arm, becoming the fourth Japanese astronaut to have participated in extravehicular operations.

In addition, Kanai took part in work to release microsatellites and catch an unmanned U.S. cargo ship using the space station's robotic arm. Jiji Press