Japan astronaut solves bubble puzzle

TOKYO: Of all the experiments Japanese astronaut Naoko Yamazaki has carried out in space — making sushi in a kimono and playing a harp — blowing soap bubbles has arguably brought the biggest breakthrough.

Yamazaki, Japan’s second female astronaut and its first mum-in-space, is part of the crew that joined a team on the International Space Station (ISS) last week in the latest mission for US space shuttle Discovery.