‘Space Diplomacy’ Can Save the Earth
Naoko Yamazaki, center, is the second woman from Japan to become an astronaut. Here, she made history in 2010 when the highest number of women, four, were together in the International Space Station, located in low Earth orbit. Only 68 women among approximately 600 astronauts globally have flown in space.
Naoko Yamazaki, the second woman astronaut from Japan, has set records not only by being the one of the four women together in the International Space Station for the first time in the history but also by participating in the longest Discovery NASA space shuttle mission in 2010. Born in Chiba, near Tokyo, Yamazaki developed interest in STEM at Ochanomizu High School in Tokyo where she found no unconscious gender bias against girls taking courses in STEM. After completing her master’s degree in aerospace engineering, Yamazaki began her international space travel in 1999. While she currently works as a visiting professor at Joshibi University, teaching a course on space, humans, and art, she promotes application of experimental knowledge and technology of space ecosystems for solving environmental issues which she referred to as “citizen diplomacy”. In Japan, Yamazaki advises the government on space policy and promotes the teaching of STEM among youths, especially young women.
