Command of the International Space Station is now in Japanese hands.

Koichi Wakata today became the first astronaut from Japan to take the helm of the orbiting laboratory.

Wakata, 50, had served as space station flight engineer since he and two crewmates arrived to the $100-billion fying research facility since last November.

"I am humbled to assume the command of the space station," Wakata said during a change-of-command ceremony broadcast on NASA Television.

The ISS orbits approximately 260 miles (420 kilometers) above Earth. It has been staffed by rotating multi-national crews of astronauts and cosmonauts since November 2000.

Wakata's command is only the third time the station has been overseen by a crew member not from NASA or the Russian Space Agency, which are the two lead partners of the 15-nation project.

Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield sat in the commander's chair from March to May 2013. Before that, Frank DeWinne, from of the European Space Agency, led a station crew in 2009.

"I am very proud as a Japanese to be given this important command," Wakata, speaking Japanese, said through a translator. "I think that this reflects the real trust toward Japan and what Japan has achieved over the past years."

A total of four astronauts from Japan, including Wakata, have served aboard the ISS as crewmembers.

Wakata, a veteran of two space shuttle missions first flew on the station in 2009, scheduled to stay aboard the station until mid-May with NASA astronaut Rick Mastracchio and Russian cosmonaut Mikhail Tyurin.

One of Wakata's first tasks as commander will be to supervise the March 18 arrival of a Dragon cargo ship developed and launched by Space Exploration Technologies Corporation, otherwise known as SpaceX.

The craft is set for lift-off from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida next Sunday.

Outgoing station commander Oleg Kotov, along with fellow Russian flight engineer Sergey Ryazanskiy and NASA astronaut Mike Hopkins are expected to leave the space station March 10, with their replacements set to arrive March 26.