2025 (Current Year) Faculty Courses School of Engineering Department of Mechanical Engineering Graduate major in Mechanical Engineering
Space Systems and Missions
- Academic unit or major
- Graduate major in Mechanical Engineering
- Instructor(s)
- Satoru Ozawa / Yasutaka Satou / Hiroki Nakanishi / Toshihiro Chujo / Takanori Iwata / Satomi Kawamoto
- Class Format
- Lecture (Face-to-face)
- Media-enhanced courses
- -
- Day of week/Period
(Classrooms) - 3-6 Fri (M-135)
- Class
- -
- Course Code
- MEC.M532
- Number of credits
- 200
- Course offered
- 2025
- Offered quarter
- 3Q
- Syllabus updated
- Feb 16, 2026
- Language
- Japanese
Syllabus
Course overview and goals
The scope of this course is to provide current statuses, future prospects, and enabling technologies of space missions realized by exploiting space systems.
Course description and aims
To learn basic knowledge required for a process starting from planning space missions, going through design and development of a space system, and completing with its operations.
Student learning outcomes
実務経験と講義内容との関連 (又は実践的教育内容)
In this lecture, practical knowledge on space engineering is provided by lecturers who have experience in research and development of versatile space satellites at JAXA.
Keywords
Space Missions, Space Systems, Space Development, Space Utilization
Competencies
- Specialist skills
- Intercultural skills
- Communication skills
- Critical thinking skills
- Practical and/or problem-solving skills
Class flow
To learn mission concepts and necessary technologies for realizing practically feasible and valuable space missions using spacecrafts and so on.
Course schedule/Objectives
| Course schedule | Objectives | |
|---|---|---|
| Class 1 | Introduction / Mission / Communication & Broadcasting 1 |
Definition, Overview, and Characteristics of Space Missions; Representative Space Missions: Communications and Broadcasting |
| Class 2 | Communications & Broadcasting 2 |
Representative Space Missions: Communications and Broadcasting |
| Class 3 | Positioning (Navigation Systems) |
Representative Space Missions: Positioning |
| Class 4 | Earth Observation 1 |
Representative Space Missions: Earth Observation (1) |
| Class 5 | Earth Observation 2 |
Representative Space Missions: Earth Observation (2) |
| Class 6 | Research and Development |
Supporting Technologies for Space Missions: Research and Development |
| Class 7 | Space Science |
Space Science Missions |
| Class 8 | Deep Space Exploration 1 |
Deep Space Exploration Missions (1) |
| Class 9 | Deep Space Exploration 2 |
Deep Space Exploration Missions (2) |
| Class 10 | Spacecraft Structures |
Supporting Technologies for Space Missions: Spacecraft Structures |
| Class 11 | Space Debris |
The Space Debris as a Key Issue in Space Missions |
| Class 12 | Space Debris Mitigation and PMD Devices |
Supporting Technologies for Space Missions: Space Debris Mitigation Technologies, Including PMD (Post-Mission Disposal) Devices |
| Class 13 | Space Debris Removal and On-Orbit Servicing |
Representative Space Mission: Space Debris Removal and On-Orbit Servicing |
| Class 14 | Deployable Structures |
Supporting Technologies for Space Missions: Deployable Structures |
Study advice (preparation and review)
Refer to lecture notes on LMS.
Textbook(s)
No textbook is assigned.
Reference books, course materials, etc.
Available on LMS.
Evaluation methods and criteria
Attendance and reports.
Related courses
- MEC.M332 ： Space Systems Design Project
- MEC.M431 ： Space Systems Design
- MEC.M433 ： Space Systems Analysis A
- MEC.M231 ： Introduction to Space Engineering
- MEC.M331 ： Space Systems Engineering
- MEC.M333 ： Advanced Space Engineering
Prerequisites
Understanding fundamentals of "Advanced Space Engineering (Undergraduate course "MEC.M333: Advanced Space Engineering") is desired, but not mandatory.