Japan Rejuvenates Astronaut Ranks With 28-Year-Old Surgeon

Makoto Suwa, left, and Ayu Yoneda.Photographer: Toru Hanai/Bloomberg
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Two civilian recruits officially joined Japan’s space program Monday, injecting some much-needed youth into its ranks given the country’s six active astronauts have an average age of 52.

Ayu Yoneda, a 28-year-old surgeon with the Red Cross, will train for about two years before being considered for a mission to the lunar surface.