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posted 02-28-2010 02:55 PM            

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The STS-131/19A mission is the final assembly mission of the International Space Station (ISS), a symbol of international cooperation. Astronaut Yamazaki is the first Japanese woman to be assigned as a NASA Mission Specialist and is scheduled to fly to the ISS. She is also the eighth Japanese to fly to space, represented on the logo by eight four-leaved clovers.

The image on the logo is of a seed encompassing life in space and continuing to grow into a new life, a new age in space. It was designed with the hope of leading all life within the universe to a better future. Moreover, the logo is made with the hope that the technology and knowledge cultivated through ISS missions, including those in the Japanese Experiment Module "Kibo," will be used to enrich the future of the Earth, the Moon, and Mars. Finally, we hope that life in the future will grow to play an active role on both the Earth and in space.