Return of Crew Dragon Spacecraft (Crew-11) with JAXA Astronaut YUI Kimiya

 I am pleased to announce the safe return of the Crew Dragon spacecraft (Crew-11) carrying JAXA Astronaut YUI
Kimiya, which splashed down safely today in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California, U.S.A., following his
long-duration mission aboard the International Space Station (ISS).

 This was Astronaut Yui’s second long-duration mission on the ISS. Together with his fellow crewmembers, he
worked closely with the ground control team to successfully carry out the mission.

 During this mission, he embraced the mission theme, “Believe in a Bright Future and Take on New Challenges!”,
and actively engaged in a wide range of activities with a view toward contributing to future international space
exploration.
 Upon the arrival of Japan’s newly developed HTV‑X1 at the ISS, he was responsible for the ISS robotic arm
capture operations, which he executed precisely in close coordination with the ground control team. This success
enabled HTV-X1 to deliver essential supplies to the long-duration crew, including large system equipment,
experimental devices, and fresh food, all while strongly demonstrating Japan’s technological capabilities and
reliability to the international community.

 He also made consistent contributions to multiple experiments and technology demonstrations aboard the
Japanese Experiment Module “Kibo”, including the installation of the Demonstration of Removing Carbon-dioxide
System(DRCS), a technology verification unit with higher efficiency than previous systems. These achievements
represent important outcomes that will contribute not only to improving life on Earth, but also to future lunar and
Mars exploration.

 In addition to his assigned tasks and motivated by his desire to “give back to people around the world who
support us from space,” Astronaut Yui shared images of Earth and various regions taken from the ISS, and worked to
strengthen information dissemination in cooperation with the fields of Earth observation and disaster prevention.

 Although the return was earlier than originally planned, the fact that the crew supported one another and
overcame challenges together shows the strong bonds that will support future space exploration. I would like to
express my sincere appreciation for the swift response of all those involved, based on this spirit of cooperation
and mutual support, and to once again pay my respects to the leadership of NASA, SpaceX, and our international
partners.

 After returning to Earth, I expect Astronaut Yui to make use of the expertise gained during his ISS mission to
support the training of Astronaut SUWA, who is scheduled for a long-duration ISS mission in 2027, as well as to
contribute to advancing human activities in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) toward the post-ISS era and promoting research and
development for future international space exploration.

 I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to our international partners, including NASA, ESA, CSA, and
Roscosmos, as well as to the relevant domestic organizations and the people of Japan for their continued support and
cooperation. Your steady encouragement and assistance is always highly appreciated.

January 15, 2026
YAMAKAWA Hiroshi,
President
Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)