Kimiya Yui
A former fighter pilot who traded the skies of Japan for the silent expanse of space, representing his nation on the International Space Station.
Born 1970 (age 56)·Japanese pilot and astronaut·Birthday: January 30·Generation X
Biography
Kimiya Yui's career is a narrative of precision and patience, a path from the cockpit of an F-15 fighter jet to the cupola of the International Space Station. Selected by JAXA in 2009 after a rigorous process, his background as a test pilot and instructor in the Japan Air Self-Defense Force provided the perfect foundation for the demands of spaceflight. His journey to orbit was a lesson in perseverance; he served as backup for multiple missions before finally receiving his own assignment. In 2015, he launched aboard a Soyuz spacecraft, spending 142 days living and working on the ISS as a flight engineer. During his tenure in microgravity, he conducted a wide array of Japanese scientific experiments, maintained the station's complex systems, and shared the experience with the public through stunning photography and outreach. Yui embodies the modern astronaut: a skilled engineer, a calm operator in a high-stakes environment, and a diplomat for science on a global platform.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Kimiya was born in 1970, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Kimiya Was Born
The biggest hits of 1970
#1 Movie
Love Story
Best Picture
Patton
#1 TV Show
Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In
Kimiya's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1970Born
First Earth Day; The Beatles break up
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $17,000Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Bridge over Troubled Water" — Simon & GarfunkelBest Picture: Patton
1975Started school
Fall of Saigon ends the Vietnam War
Gas: $0.57/galHome: $27,600Min wage: $2.10/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Love Will Keep Us Together" — Captain & TennilleBest Picture: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
1983Became a teenager
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1986Could drive
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1988Could vote
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1991Turned 21
Soviet Union dissolves; World Wide Web goes public
Gas: $1.14/galHome: $82,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" — Bryan AdamsBest Picture: The Silence of the Lambs
2000Turned 30
Y2K passes without incident; contested Bush-Gore election
Gas: $1.51/galHome: $119,600Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Breathe" — Faith HillBest Picture: Gladiator
2010Turned 40
Deepwater Horizon oil spill; iPad launched
Gas: $2.79/galHome: $147,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Tik Tok" — KeshaBest Picture: The King's Speech
2020Turned 50
COVID-19 pandemic shuts down the world
Gas: $2.17/galHome: $248,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Blinding Lights" — The WeekndBest Picture: Nomadland
2026Age 56 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Served as a Flight Engineer on the International Space Station for Expedition 44/45 in 2015.
- Logged over 142 days in space during his first and only long-duration mission.
- Was selected as a JAXA astronaut candidate in 2009 after a career as a fighter pilot and test pilot.
- Served as backup crewmember for the Soyuz TMA-16M and Soyuz MS-03 expeditions to the ISS.
Did You Know?
He is a qualified F-15J fighter pilot and served as a test pilot and instructor for the Japan Air Self-Defense Force.
During his ISS mission, he grew the first ever flower (a zinnia) to bloom in space.
He holds a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from the National Defense Academy of Japan.
He performed several spacewalks (Extra-vehicular activities) during his time on the ISS.
“From the cockpit to the cosmos, every detail in the checklist matters.”
