When it comes to deepening the international partnership between NASA and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), Nobuhiro Takahashi has a name that’s fit for the job.
Takahashi takes pride in collaborating with NASA as JAXA’s liaison and is determined to constantly provide meaningful solutions that will benefit both agencies and Gateway. In fact, the name “Takahashi” translates literally to “high bridge” – an appropriate name for someone cultivating good relationships on a project just as Gateway itself is a bridge from Earth to the Moon and the rest of the solar system.
NASA’s Gateway will be a long-term, reusable, and reliable lunar orbiting outpost for scientific investigations and exploration. Based in Houston, Takahashi coordinates any JAXA-related Gateway activities and is JAXA’s representative for the international project, which is destined to become the cornerstone of sustained deep space human exploration.
“Gateway plays an important part in returning to the Moon,” Takahashi said. “The Moon isn’t the final destination, and Artemis is about going farther than the Moon, to Mars and beyond. As we all face resource challenges, international collaboration can provide optimal design solutions. The International Space Station is a living example of this, and we are happy to expand on that partnership with Gateway.”
JAXA is selecting astronaut candidates for the first time in 13 years. The astronauts in the new class may take on deep space missions to the Moon and perhaps deeper into the solar system and will help inspire new generations of people who dream about careers in space. Takahashi said he takes inspiration from the first JAXA astronaut Mamoru Mohri, who rode on the space shuttle. Mohri was one of many examples of the importance and benefits of international collaboration throughout NASA and JAXA’s history.
“NASA’s and JAXA’s goals are the same: to return to the Moon and explore more of the lunar surface than ever before,” Takahashi said. “I’m excited to be a part of Gateway and assist in our return, but this time, I look forward to seeing astronauts return to the Moon as part of an international effort.”
A Tokyo native, Takahashi received his bachelors and masters in communications and computer engineering from Waseda University in Japan. He enjoys driving cars and spending time with his wife, Mayumi, and two sons, Yuri and Hideto.
Gateway will facilitate transit to previously unexplored areas of the lunar surface and potentially to deep space destinations beyond the Moon, making it a critical component of Artemis and the backbone of NASA’s deep space exploration plans. Critical to the success of Gateway are NASA’s international partnerships with JAXA, the European Space Agency, and the Canadian Space Agency, as well as commercial partners.