Japanese Astronaut Yui Arrives at ISS, Joins Onishi

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Aug 2, 2025 20:18 (JST)

Tokyo, Aug. 2 (Jiji Press)–Japanese astronaut Kimiya Yui, 55, arrived at the International Space Station on a U.S. Crew Dragon spacecraft Saturday to join Takuya Onishi, also from Japan, who has been aboard the ISS since March.

The 11th Crew Dragon spacecraft of Space Exploration Technologies Corp., or SpaceX, carrying Yui and three foreign colleagues, was launched by a Falcon 9 rocket from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Friday local time.

The Crew-11 spacecraft was separated from the rocket 10 minutes after the launch and docked with the ISS in the small hours of Saturday. The launch was postponed for one day due to bad weather.

Onishi, 49, now in command of the ISS, greeted Yui with a high five after the connecting hatch opened about 80 minutes after the docking. They hugged and celebrated their reunion.

At a ceremony held afterward, Onishi welcomed the four astronauts. Yui expressed his gratitude in English.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]

Jiji Press