The National Space Development Agency of Japan formally certified Naoko Sumino as an astronaut Wednesday, paving the way for her to go to the International Space Station, due to be completed in 2006.
Sumino, a 30-year-old native of Chiba Prefecture, is the nation's second female astronaut after Chiaki Mukai, who has participated in two U.S. space shuttle missions.
Sumino said she hopes to work as an engineer and operate the space station's robot arm, which is used to guide in supply vessels.
She will continue to train using space station apparatus while waiting for her callup.
Sumino joined NASDA in 1996 after majoring in aerospace engineering at the University of Tokyo and has helped to develop Kibo, the Japanese laboratory wing that will be connected to the space station.
Sumino was selected to be an astronaut trainee in February 1999. and has been undergoing basic training in several countries, including the United States and Russia. Her certification allows her to stay and work in the space station, but she will not be involved in space shuttle flights, NASDA said.