2026 (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): Satomi Kawamoto / Satoru Ozawa / Yasutaka Satou / Hiroki Nakanishi / Toshihiro Chujo / Yuto Takei
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: 2026
Offered quarter: 3Q
Syllabus updated: Oct 5, 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, Space Mission Overview	Definition, Overview, Characteristics of Space Missions, Mission Requirements, Space Environment
Class 2	Space Environment / Space Debris	Representative Space Missions: Space Environment Measurement Mission, Space Situational Awareness (SSA), etc.
Class 3	Communications & Broadcasting 1	Representative Space Mission: Communications and Broadcasting 1
Class 4	Communications & Broadcasting 2	Representative Space Mission: Communications and Broadcasting 2
Class 5	Earth Observation	Representative Space Missions: Earth Observation
Class 6	Research and Development	Supporting Technologies for Space Missions: Research and Development
Class 7	Exploration 1	Scientific Exploration Missions: The Hayabusa2 Example
Class 8	Exploration 2	Orbital Transfer Vehicles (OTVs) and Future Exploration Missions
Class 9	Exploration 3	History of Sample Return, Structural and Mechanical Development of MMX
Class 10	Spacecraft Structure System	Requirement to Spacecraft Structure and its Design Example, Examples of Structural Malfunction
Class 11	Deployable Structures	Example of Space Deployable Structures(Membrane, Boom, etc.) and its Design
Class 12	Attitude and Orbit Control Utilizing Space Environment	Attitude and Orbital Dynamics and Control Utilizing the Space Environment, Exemplified by Solar Sails
Class 13	Missions Utilizing Space Environment	Introduction to Missions Utilizing the Space Environment, Exemplified by Solar Sails
Class 14	Space Traffic Management (STM) / On-orbit Servicing	Representative Space Missions: Active Debris Removal, On-orbit Servicing, Space Debris Mitigation Technology Demonstration, etc.

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.