Japanese astronaut Mamoru Mohri, who participated in U.S. space shuttle missions in 1992 and in February this year, is retiring from the National Space Development Agency of Japan to head a science museum to be completed in July, NASDA officials said.

Mohri, 52, will become full-time director of the museum being built on the waterfront in Tokyo's Koto Ward, having already served in the post on a part-time basis since Oct. 1.

Nihon Kagaku Miraikan (Japanese Museum of Science and the Future) will stage various exhibitions and events in fields such as the environment and life sciences.

Japan Science and Technology Corp., an affiliate of the Science and Technology Agency, is building the museum at a cost of 40 billion yen.

Mohri is also expected to instruct junior NASDA members about astronaut missions on a part-time basis once a week.

Hired by NASDA in 1985, Mohri joined the crew of the space shuttle Endeavour and conducted experiments in September 1992 as NASDA's first astronaut.

He qualified as a mission specialist in 1998 and embarked on the Endeavour again in February 2000, despite being in his 50s.