Astronaut Koichi Wakata's preparations to become the first Japanese crew member to live long-term aboard the International Space Station won't neglect his tastebuds, according to dpa. Wakata will join the International Space Station's Expedition 18 this winter, joining US astronauts Michael Fincke and Sandra Magnus and Russian cosomonaut Yuri Lonchakov, who are set to launch aboard a Russian Soyuz in October. Wakata told reporters at a media briefing at the Johnson Space Centre in Houston on Wednesday that he is looking forward to working in the parts of the Japanese Kibo module that have already been installed on the station and preparing for the installation of its final pieces. But it won't be just work aboard the station, and Wakata will have the chance to share his nation's cuisine with his fellow crew members. "I would like to have some Japanese dinners with you," he told them during the news conference, noting he will bring along dozens of dishes "that you guys have never had in space before."
