Space is one of the major themes representing science, and it gives many people dreams. Many students' eyes light up when they hear about space. Our university's College of Science and Engineering is made up of seven departments, and students can study a wide range of academic fields, from science such as mathematics and physics to management and systems engineering, which has a social science perspective. Two of these departments, Department of Physical Sciences and Department of Mechanical Engineering have faculty and students working on space and aviation research.

Space is one of the major themes in physics, and three faculty members in Department of Physical Sciences are conducting research based on theory and observation. Meanwhile, Department of Mechanical Engineering focuses on making and controlling things. Manufacturing is the foundation that supports various industries. Even in the aerospace field, knowledge of mechanical engineering is required when making aircraft and spacecraft. In Department of Mechanical Engineering, faculty members who are researching mechanical dynamics and materials engineering are also involved in the aerospace field.

There are many different approaches to the aerospace field. In our university, not only can we study the universe itself in Department of Physical Sciences, but we can also study space and aviation through machines and materials. The wide range of options available is a major strength of the Faculty of College of Science and Engineering, as we can get involved in areas that suit each student's interests.

Overview of the "Collaboration Graduate School System"
(From the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's "New JAXA Student Acceptance System")

Physics is broadly divided into theory and observational/experimental research, and these two fields influence each other as they advance in science. Department of Physical Sciences has three laboratories related to astrophysics, and students can choose to conduct both theoretical and observational research.

In theoretical research, we use theoretical models that we construct to predict phenomena observed from celestial bodies, etc. In observational research, on the other hand, we accumulate new knowledge by developing new observational equipment, actually observing celestial bodies, and analyzing the obtained data to limit theoretical predictions.

I specialize in observing celestial bodies using short-wavelength electromagnetic waves such as X-rays and gamma rays. In the collaborative graduate school program with JAXA, one student each from my laboratory and that of Professor Atsumasa Yoshida, who is also conducting observational research, are sent to Professor Tetsuya Yoshida's laboratory at JAXA. Professor Tetsuya Yoshida is promoting an internationally joint balloon experiment orbiting Antarctica with the aim of searching for antiparticles and antimatter in cosmic rays originating from dark matter, which is thought to fill the universe.

Currently, I am launching and operating the ultra-small rapid reporting demonstration satellite ARICA, and the idea for this satellite came to me when I heard that Professor Tetsuya Yoshida was using private sector communication equipment in his balloon experiments. The collaborative graduate school system not only broadens the students' own research fields, but also my horizons as a teacher, providing an opportunity to generate new ideas.

MOVIE

This is the first step towards unraveling the mystery of the birth of the universe.
Tuesday, November 9, 2021 ARICA goes into space!

Gamma-ray bursts can be used as bright light sources in the distant universe to explore the early state of the universe. The "ARICA Project" is a project led by students from the Sakamoto Laboratory, with the aim of demonstrating a new gamma-ray burst reporting system.
This is a documentary video that captures the journey of Professor Sakamoto and his laboratory members from just before the rocket launch until the day of the launch.

In my laboratory, we conduct research on developing high-precision control methods for robot arms used in space, landing systems for planetary landers, etc. Spacecraft that perform various operations in the space environment are difficult to test in advance in an environment identical to space.

In particular, my field of expertise, mechanical dynamics, is greatly affected by gravity. The movement of objects in space, where there is almost no gravity, is completely different from their movement on Earth, where there is gravity. On Earth, we can only conduct experiments that partially simulate the experience of space, such as drop experiments that last for a few seconds.

This is where verification through simulation becomes important. By recreating space on a computer and investigating how machines will move when operated there, experiments and tests on the ground can be carried out efficiently, reducing the development costs of spacecraft and enabling them to be developed in a short period of time.

In order to reproduce the movement of a machine more accurately in a simulation, it is necessary to create a mathematical model that expresses the movement in mathematical formulas. Mathematical models are also very important when considering how to control the machine so that it moves as desired. For this reason, we build mathematical models based on kinematics and dynamics, analyze them through simulation, and develop control methods.

Both aircraft and spacecraft require a variety of materials to build their fuselages. Advances in materials make it possible to build lighter and stronger aircraft. In the real world, aircraft and spacecraft do not end with their construction. It is necessary to operate the aircraft safely. My specialty, material strength, studies the processes of strength, fracture, and deformation of materials, and accumulates knowledge to prevent accidents involving aircraft, spacecraft, and various other machines.

My laboratory studies material strength science and has been collaborating with JAXA's laboratory for more than 20 years, including the time of my predecessor. College of Science and Engineering Before moving to the current Sagamihara campus, JAXA had a campus in Setagaya, and I believe that one of JAXA's predecessors, the National Aerospace Laboratory of Japan (now the "JAXA Chofu Aerospace Center"), was located nearby, which led to personal connections among researchers that led to our collaboration.

The fact that not only the Materials Strength Laboratory but also several other laboratories in College of Science and Engineering had connections with researchers at the National Aerospace Laboratory of Japan (NALJ) led to the graduate school collaboration with JAXA. Sagamihara Since the campus is close to the JAXA Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, we have been deepening our interactions not only with researchers at the JAXA Chofu Aerospace Center but also with those at the JAXA Institute of Space and Astronautical Science. In the graduate school's Mechanical Engineering Course, JAXA researchers are part-time lecturers in such courses as "Advanced Space Structural Materials Engineering" and "Advanced Aerospace Engineering.