Mukai

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Mukai

Chiaki Mukai Status: Active. Trained as: Astronaut. Profession: Medical Doctor. Sex: Female. Marital Status: Married. Birth Date: 06 May 1952. Birth City: Tatebayashi. Birth State: Gunma Prefecture. Birth Country: Japan. Nationality: Japanese. Degree: MD. Group: 1985 NASDA Group. Date Selected: 01 August 1985. Number of Flights: 2. Total Time: 23.65 days.

Official NASA Biography:

NAME: Chiaki Mukai (M.D., Ph.D.)

NASDA Astronaut (Payload Specialist)

PERSONAL DATA:

Born May 6, 1952, in Tatebayashi, Gunma Prefecture, Japan. Married to Makio Mukai, M.D., Ph.D. Recreational interests include snow skiing, Alpine competitive skiing, bass fishing, scuba diving, tennis, golf, photography, American Literature, and traveling.

EDUCATION:

Graduated from Keio Girls� School in Tokyo, in 1971. She received her doctorare in Medicine, Keio University School of Medicine, 1977; a doctorate in physiology, Keio University School of Medicine, 1988; board certified as a cardiovascular surgeon, Japan Surgical Society, 1989.

ORGANIZATIONS:

The American Aerospace Medical Association; Japan Society of Microgravity Applications; Japan Society of Aerospace and Environmental Medicine; Japanese Society for Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery; Japan Surgical Society.

SPECIAL HONORS:

Outstanding Service Award - The Society of Japanese Women Scientist (1996), Special Congressional Recognition - U.S. Congress (1995), Happy Hands Award - Satte Junior Chamber of Commerce (1995), Aeromedical Association of Korea Honorary Membership (1995), Tatebayashi Children�s Science Exploratorium Honorary President (1995), Prime Minister�s Special Citation for Contributions to Gender Equality (1995), The De La Vaux Medal - The Federation Aeronautique Internationale(1995), The Award for Distinguished Service in Advancement of Space Biology - Japanese Society for Biological Sciences in Space (1995), Prime Minister�s Special Citation (1994), Minister of State for Science and Technology�s Commendation (1994 & 1992), People of Gunma Prefecture�s Certificate of Appreciation (1994), Honorary Citizen of Tatebayashi City (1994), Outstanding Service Award - National Space Development Agency of Japan (1994 & 1992), Award for Distinguished Accomplishments - Tokyo Women�s Foundation ( 1994) and Commendation for Technology - Japan Society of Aeronautical and Space Science ( 1993).

PUBLICATIONS:

Dr. Mukai is credited with approximately sixty publications since 1979.

EXPERIENCE:

Board certified for Medicine in 1977. From 1977 through 1978, Dr. Mukai worked as a Resident in General Surgery, Keio University Hospital, Tokyo. She was on the Medical Staff in General Surgery, Shimizu General Hospital, Shizuoka Prefecture in 1978, and on the Medical Staff in Emergency Surgery, Saiseikai Kanagawa Hospital, Kanawaga Prefecture in 1979. Dr. Mukai began her work as a Resident in Cardiovascular Surgery, Keio University Hospital in 1980 and served on the Medical Staff in Cardiovascular Surgery, Saiseikai Utsunomiya Hospital, Tochigi Prefecture in 1982. She returned to Keio University Hospital in 1983 as the Chief Resident in Cardiovascular Surgery, and was later promoted to Assistant Professor of the Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Keio University.

As a NASDA science astronaut, she became a visiting scientist of the Division of Cardiovascular Physiology, Space Biomedical Research Institute, NASA Johnson Space Center from 1987 through 1988. Dr. Mukai remains a Research Instructor of the Department of Surgery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas and a visiting associate professor of the Department of Surgery, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, respectively since 1992.

NASA EXPERIENCE:

In 1985, Dr. Mukai was selected by the National Space Development Agency of Japan (NASDA), as one of three Japanese Payload Specialist candidates for the First Material Processing Test (Spacelab-J) onboard the U.S. Space Shuttle mission STS-47. She flew again in 1994 on The Second International Microgravity Laboratory (IML-2) (STS-65) mission as a Payload Specialist. The mission consisted of 82 investigations of Space Life Science (Human Physiology, Space Biology, Radiation Biology, and Bioprocessing) and Microgravity Science (Material Science, Fluid Science and Research on the Microgravity Environment and Countermeasures). IML-2 was also designated as an extended duration orbit mission focusing on medical experiments related to the cardiovascular system, autonomic nerve system, and bone and muscle metabolism.

CURRENT ASSIGNMENT:

A NASDA science astronaut, Dr. Chiaki Mukai is currently assigned as a payload specialist candidate on the Neurolab (STS-90) mission, scheduled for Shuttle launch in March, 1998.

SEPTEMBER 1996

Flight Log

STS-81-G - - 1988 February - Assignment: Proposed Prime Crew.
Planned Spacelab-J shuttle mission. Cancelled after Challenger disaster.
STS-65 - - 1994 Jul 8 - Assignment: Prime Crew. Flight Time: 14.75 days. Flight details: STS-65.
Carried IML-2; microgravity, biology experiments. Payloads: International Microgravity Laboratory (IML) 2, Orbital Acceleration Research Experiment (OARE), Commercial Protein Crystal Growth (CPCG), Air Force Maui Optical Site (AMOS), Military Applications of Ship Tracks (MAST), Shuttle Amateur Radio Experiment (SAREX).
STS-90 - - 1998 Apr 17 - Assignment: Backup Crew. Flight details: STS-90.
Columbia rolled out to pad 39B on March 23. Payloads:
- Spacelab transfer tunnel
- Spacelab Long Module, with Neurolab experiments for the following life science studies:
  - Chronic Recording of Otolith Nerves in Microgravity
  - Development of the Aortic Baroreflex under Conditions of Microgravity
  - Neural-Thyroid Interaction on Skeletal Isomyosin Expression in OG
  - Spatial Orientation of the Vestibulo-Ocular Reflex and Velocity Storage
  - Autonomic Neuroplasticity in Weightlessness
- Extended Duration Orbiter pallet
- Two Get Away Special beams with canisters G-197, G-467, G-772 (Colorado's COLLIDE experiment, which collided small particles into each other to simulate the formation of planets and rings).
The Neurolab mission was managed by NASA-Johnson at Houston, unlike earlier Spacelab flights which were NASA-Marshall/Huntsville's responsibility. Landed at Kennedy Space Center May 3 1998.
STS-95 - - 1998 Oct 29 - Assignment: Prime Crew. Flight Time: 8.91 days. Flight details: STS-95.
The flight of STS-95 provoked more publicity for NASA than any other flight in years, due to the presence of ex-astronaut Senator John Glenn on the crew, which also included the first Spanish astronaut, Pedro Duque. The US Navy PANSAT student satellite was deployed on Oct 30 into a 550 km x 561 x 28.5 degree orbit. The Spartan 201 satellite was deployed from Discovery on November 1 and retrieved on November 3. Spartan 201 was on its fifth mission to observe the solar corona. The data on this mission would be used to recalibrate the SOHO satellite which recently resumed observation of the Sun following loss of control. Discovery landed at 17:03:31 GMT November 7 on Runway 33 at the Shuttle Landing Facility at Kennedy Space Center.

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Last update 3 May 2001.
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