Space Flying Body Laboratory (Masaaki Kawamura Laboratory)
In our laboratory, we are engaged in the design, manufacture, testing, and basic research of various space projectiles as part of our graduation research and master's thesis research. In the development of small artificial satellites and planetary explorers, work such as "model creation using 3D CAD software CATIA", "structural analysis using general-purpose analysis software ANSYS", and "design / manufacture and programming of electronic circuits" Through this, you can gain a wide range of knowledge and experience in design and production. In addition, in research on atmospheric re-entry capsules and space return aircraft, you can acquire know-how such as test methods, experimental methods, and research approaches through work such as "wind tunnel test" and "numerical simulation". Through these efforts, you will acquire "problem-solving ability" and "problem-solving ability" while learning about space system engineering in general. At the same time, we are also proposing innovative space projects, and graduates are widely active in specialized fields different from the aerospace field, such as automobiles, railways, home appliances, and medical equipment, based on this knowledge and experience.
Basic Information
Faculty name/Affiliation
Masaaki Kawamura / Department of Aerospace Engineering, Faculty of Faculty of Science and Engineering and Engineering
Specialized Fields
Gas mechanics (high-speed gas, weakly ionized gas), space system engineering
Research theme
Research on space vehicles (atmospheric reentry capsules, spacecraft, small satellites, planetary explorers)
Research on circulating air regeneration system
Research keywords
Atmospheric reentry capsule, spacecraft, small satellite, planetary probe, International Space Station
Design, manufacture, and flight test of flexible structure space aircraft (Mars aircraft) Do you have the image that "airplane = hard"? Kawamura Laboratory is developing a completely opposite "soft airplane" that overturns that image. If you use a soft airplane, you can decelerate while dropping it fluffy when re-entering the Earth's atmosphere or Mars' atmosphere, and we are investigating whether it is possible to make a soft landing while flying as an airplane in the atmosphere. We are also actively participating in the "All Japan Student Indoor Flying Robot Contest" to confirm the achievement level of the design and manufacture of flexible structure space flying objects.
TIPS project We are planning the TIPS (Teikyo Inflatable Probe in Space) project, which is a project to fly a flexible structure spacecraft (Mars aircraft) on Mars. We are aiming for launch in the 2020s, and we are currently dividing the concept design into each subsystem system (mission system, structure system, thermal system, power supply system, C & DH system, attitude control system, communication system, propulsion system, orbital system). While doing so, we are considering the feasibility. In addition, during the project, we are also studying a system that guides Mars aircraft using target markers, and through the project, we will be able to acquire a wide range of knowledge and experience in the field of comprehensive engineering.
Basic research on circulating air regeneration system Current manned space activities, represented by the International Space Station, rely on the transportation of all the water needed to supply oxygen from the ground. In the future, in order to carry out manned lunar exploration and manned Mars exploration, a circulating air regeneration system that includes the reduction of carbon dioxide is required. Kawamura Laboratory is exploring a method for efficiently reducing carbon dioxide by numerical simulation using computational fluid dynamics (CFD), and is hydrodynamic so that it can predict the reaction in a microgravity environment in the future. We are conducting basic research from various perspectives. This research theme is a joint research with JAXA.
Introducing the FacultyThis section introduces details about the research and the passionate thoughts around the research.
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