The veteran Japanese astronaut Koichi Wakata has demonstrated that terrestrial sports can be reinvented in space.
Recently, he shared a video on the social media platform X in which he is seen playing baseball solo aboard the International Space Station (ISS).
“It’s baseball season: the start of the MLB takes place in Japan. During Expedition 68, I played a solo game. In microgravity, you don’t need a full team; you can play in all positions,” Wakata wrote in his post.
The video of Wakata quickly went viral, catching the attention of numerous users, including entrepreneur Elon Musk.
Chris Hadfield, the first Canadian to command the ISS, also shared the video with the message: “That is my friend Koichi Wakata inside the JAXA module of the International Space Station. Japan plays great baseball!”
Internet users reacted enthusiastically to the video. “Very impressive, sir! Great reflexes!” commented a social media user.
Another added: “Baseball has become more fun. Keep it up, Astro Koichi!” Some even speculated about future sports in space. “Is there a game called ‘spaceball’? If humanity were to migrate to space, what sports would it create?” reflected a user.
Koichi Wakata became the first Japanese astronaut to command the ISS in 2014. In 2022, he returned to the station for his third long-duration mission, Crew-5, aboard SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft.
She is one of the few people to have flown in three different types of spacecraft: the space shuttle, the Soyuz, and the Dragon. Additionally, she completed two spacewalks alongside American astronaut Nicole Aunapu Mann.
Frequently Asked Questions about Baseball in Space and Astronaut ParticipationHow is it possible to play baseball in space?
Baseball in space is played by taking advantage of microgravity, which allows a single person to play in all positions without the need for a full team. Japanese astronaut Koichi Wakata demonstrated this aboard the International Space Station.
Who is Koichi Wakata and what is his significance in the ISS?
Koichi Wakata is a veteran Japanese astronaut who has commanded the International Space Station and participated in multiple space missions. He is known for being one of the few who have flown on three different types of spacecraft: the Space Shuttle, the Soyuz, and SpaceX’s Dragon.
What reactions did the baseball video shared by Koichi Wakata generate?
The video shared by Koichi Wakata on the social network X quickly went viral, receiving enthusiastic comments from users, including entrepreneur Elon Musk. Internet users expressed their admiration for Wakata’s creativity and speculated about the possibility of developing sports in space in the future.
AloJapan.com