Japan astronaut Kanai starts long stay in ISS
Jiji -- Dec 20
Japanese astronaut Norishige Kanai began his stay in the International Space Station on Tuesday after arriving with two colleagues aboard a Soyuz spacecraft.

His long stay in the ISS, set to continue until June 3 next year, is the eighth of its kind by a Japanese astronaut following Koichi Wakata's in 2009.

Kanai, 41, entered the space station two hours after the Soyuz carrying him and U.S. and Russian astronauts docked with the ISS at 11:39 a.m. (8:39 a.m. GMT).

With a big smile, he hugged crew members who had been staying at the space station.

In his first contact from the ISS with officials on Earth, Kanai said cheerfully that he wants to start work as soon as possible.

宇宙飛行士の金井宣茂さん(41)ら3人が乗ったソユーズ宇宙船が日本時間19日午後5時39分、国際宇宙ステーションに到着し、金井さんの5カ月半の滞在が始まった。金井さんは地上との交信で「すぐにでも仕事を始めたい」と笑顔で話した。
News sources: Jiji, ANNnewsCH