posted 08-31-2011 10:01 AM               

Astronaut Naoko Yamazaki said in a press conference Wednesday that she wants to work as a freelance outer space educator after resigning from the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency the same day.

"Instead of me going to outer space again, I want to see more people travel there in the future," she said, adding she wants to take up work that will help familiarize people with space flight.

Yamazaki said she pondered her work and personal life for nearly a year before deciding to spend more time with her family. "I would like to give my full attention to my family for some time," she added.

She became the second female Japanese astronaut to fly into outer space in 2010. Yamazaki was also the first Japanese mother to crew a space shuttle and serve on the International Space Station.

posted 07-02-2025 08:41 AM               

This year, I have been appointed as the chairperson of the Space Development and Utilization Committee of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. Together with the committee members and related parties, I aim to engage in sincere and proactive discussions.

I am also continuing my involvement in the Cabinet Office's Space Science and Exploration Subcommittee, among others.
Valuing both policy and on-the-ground perspectives, I look forward to your continued support!

posted 12-14-2025 07:03 PM               

Vast Expands to Japan, Appointing Naoko Yamazaki as General Manager of Vast Japan GK

Vast today announced its official expansion into Japan with its Japanese subsidiary, Vast Japan GK, and its new office in Tokyo. This milestone marks a significant step in Vast's mission to collaborate with allied nations on space leadership and reinforces its commitment to ensuring a continuous presence in low Earth orbit by America and its allies. Vast Japan GK will be led by Naoko Yamazaki, former JAXA astronaut.

"It is an honor to have Yamazaki-san join our team and we are privileged to have her lead our new subsidiary in Japan," shared Vast CEO Max Haot. "Japan's human spaceflight heritage and market is one of the largest and most important to the future of the transition from the International Space Station (ISS) to commercial space stations. We're honored to have the opportunity to expand Vast in Japan to further strategic relationships with Japanese partners and customers."

"The commercial space sector is integral to advancing critical innovations for the next era of space exploration and habitation, and I am excited to join Vast to help move those advancements forward and expand the possibilities for humanity," added Yamazaki.

After earning a Master of Engineering degree from the University of Tokyo in 1996, Yamazaki began her career at the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). She was selected as an astronaut candidate in 1999, qualified as a Soyuz flight engineer in 2004, and became a NASA-certified mission specialist in 2006. In April 2010, Yamazaki flew aboard Space Shuttle Discovery as a mission specialist on STS-131, an assembly and resupply mission to the International Space Station (ISS). After retiring from JAXA in 2011, she served as a member of the National Space Policy Committee of the Cabinet Office of Japan from 2012 to 2022. She currently chairs the Subcommittee on Space Development and Utilization at the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT).

In 2018, Yamazaki co-founded the Space Port Japan Association and has since served as its representative director, working to promote the space industry. Since 2021, she also serves as president of the Young Astronaut Club Japan to inspire future generations in addition to serving on the Council of The Earthshot Prize, launched in 2020 by the Prince of Wales and The Royal Foundation.