Japan astronaut Noguchi to return to ISS aboard Space X's ship english.kyodonews.net

KYODO NEWS - 39 minutes ago - 14:32 | All, JapanJapanese astronaut Soichi Noguchi will return to the International Space Station, this time transported by a spacecraft developed by U.S. aerospace manufacturer Space X, according to the Japanese government.
Noguchi, 54, will be manning Space Exploration Technologies Corp.'s first operational Crew Dragon spacecraft, science minister Koichi Hagiuda said at a recent press conference.
In March last year, the unmanned Dragon spacecraft of Space X made a successful round trip to the ISS, but a Crew Dragon exploded on the ground during an engine test the following month, triggering safety concerns.
Noguchi will board the Crew Dragon, which will lift off following the launch of a spacecraft carrying two astronauts from the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration planned for mid-May.
The Crew Dragon was developed by Space X, founded by entrepreneur Elon Musk, to transport astronauts to the ISS after NASA's Space Shuttle retired in 2011.