Koichi Wakata, a veteran Japanese astronaut and Chief Technology Officer for Asia Pacific at Axiom Space, is urging Ghana to set clear goals for its space program and pursue international partnerships to expand its presence in space exploration.
In an interview on Friday, September 18, 2026, Wakata said Ghana has strong potential in space technology and can benefit from deeper international collaboration as it builds out its human spaceflight ambitions.
He pointed to his own career as proof of what cooperation can achieve. His path to space became possible through international partnerships even though Japan had no space program during his childhood.
Wakata recalled watching the Moon landing at age five, at a time when there were no rockets in Japan, astronaut corps, or space program of its own. That moment sparked his interest in a space career.
He went on to fly to space five times and spent more than 500 days in orbit. He later managed the International Space Station program at the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency in Tsukuba.
He also spoke about a personal highlight, watching Ghana’s first satellite deployed from the ISS’s Kibo module with Japan’s contribution to the station. He said the moment stood out because it marked Ghana’s entry into space technology and signalled its potential to join global space activities.
Wakata said he hopes that sharing his training and spaceflight experience will inspire young Ghanaians to pursue careers in the sector.
He also said he’s looking forward to seeing a Ghanaian astronaut eventually fly to the ISS or to Axiom Space’s planned commercial space station, currently in development. He said Ghana’s youth have a role to play in seizing these emerging opportunities, noting the country has significant untapped potential in space exploration.
