On June 30, 2010, astronaut Naoko Yamazaki of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency and six astronauts from NASA visited Nikon Corporation. The seven-member crew of Space Shuttle mission STS-131/19A, including Commander Alan Poindexter, were welcomed by Chairman Michio Kariya, President Makoto Kimura and managers of digital camera development. The primary purpose of the visit was the exchange of ideas and opinions regarding the Nikon D3S digital SLR cameras and interchangeable lenses that have been used aboard the International Space Station (ISS) since this mission. The reliability and stability of the equipment was a major topic of discussions.
