Norishige Kanai launched into orbit on December 17, 2017, aboard the Soyuz MS-07 spacecraft. As a member of the Expedition 54/55 crew, this Japanese physician transitioned from his role as a lieutenant in the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force to a long-duration resident of the International Space Station, serving until his return to Earth on June 3, 2018.
Medical and Military Background
Kanai earned his M.D. from the National Defense Medical College in 2002. His early professional years were spent in surgery at the National Defense Medical College Hospital before transferring to the Japan Self Defense Force Ohminato Hospital in Aomori in 2004. He specialized in underwater medicine, completing the Diving Medicine Course in 2004 and the U.S. Navy Diving Medical Officer’s Course in Florida by 2006. He remains affiliated with the Japan Surgical Society and the Japanese Society of Hyperbaric and Undersea Medicine.
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Selected by JAXA in September 2009, Kanai relocated to the Johnson Space Center to begin NASA astronaut training. As a member of the 20th NASA class, he completed technical instruction in robotics, Extravehicular Activity, and T-38 Talon flight operations. His certification as an ISS astronaut occurred in July 2011. Before his spaceflight, he operated as a cavenaut in the 2011 ESA CAVES program in Sardinia and served as an aquanaut for the NEEMO 20 mission in 2015.
Expedition 54/55 and Observations
During his residence on the International Space Station, Kanai became the subject of public interest after reporting a nine-centimeter increase in his height, which he attributed to microgravity. He later clarified that the measurement was inaccurate, confirming a two-centimeter growth instead. This phenomenon reflects the spinal expansion typically experienced by crew members in the absence of gravitational pressure. Throughout his career, he has maintained an interest in Iaidō and traditional Japanese martial arts.
Fast facts
- Born: 5 December 1976, Tokyo
- Citizenship: Japan
- Military Rank: Lieutenant
- Space Mission: Expedition 54/55
- Launch Date: 17 December 2017
- Return Date: 3 June 2018
- Educational Degree: M.D., National Defense Medical College
Questions readers ask
What medical specialty does Kanai hold?
He is a physician and a qualified Diving Medical Officer.
Did Norishige Kanai grow 9 cm in space?
No, he corrected his initial report and stated the measurement was a mistake, noting an actual increase of 2 cm.
Achievements
- Worked as astronaut and physician
