- Japanese astronaut Suwa Makoto will embark on a long-term mission to the International Space Station starting around 2027.
- He aims to contribute to ongoing scientific research on the ISS and lay groundwork for future lunar and Martian exploration.
- Suwa, certified in 2024 and the oldest Japanese astronaut selected, hopes to gain experience for potential future lunar missions under the Artemis program.

A: Hey, did you hear the news? It’s pretty cool!

B: No, what happened? Tell me!

A: Makoto Suwa, a Japanese astronaut, is going to space!

B: Wow! Really? When?

A: Around next year, 2027! He’ll stay on the International Space Station for a while.

B: That’s amazing! He's been training, right?

A: Yep! He became an official astronaut in 2024.

B: So, what will he *do* up there?

A: He wants to help finish up all the science experiments they've been doing on the station. It's ending around 2030, so they need to wrap things up.

B: That makes sense. Any bigger plans?

A: He’s thinking about future missions too! Like, exploring the moon and Mars!

B: Seriously? That’s so exciting! Maybe he'll go to the moon!

A: He could! There's a project called Artemis. He'd be the first Japanese astronaut to do it!

B: That's incredible! Is he nervous?

A: Not really! He says it’s a team effort and wants to make sure other Japanese astronauts can go too. He wants to gain a lot of experience.

B: That’s a really nice attitude. How old is he, anyway?

A: He’s 46! He was chosen when he was quite older than the other candidates.

B: Wow, that's impressive! He studied Earth Science, and even worked abroad!

A: He’s done a lot of different things – helped developing countries, too! It’s a really interesting story!