Special Lecture
Unveiling the Greatest and Latest Mysteries on Lunar Science
Dr. Kazuto Saiki
Professor, Research Organization of Science and Technology
Director, Earth & Space Exploration Center (ESEC), Ritsumeikan University
Fellow, Ritsumeikan Advanced Research Academy
Abstract
The greatest mystery in lunar science is how the Moon was formed, while the latest mystery is whether there is water on the Moon. I am involved in both the SLIM and LUPEX missions, which seek to address these two questions. SLIM successfully achieved the world’s first pinpoint lunar landing, making Japan the fifth country to achieve a soft landing on the Moon. I will discuss how actual lunar explorations were developed and carried out. Additionally, I will introduce the implications of lunar water resource exploration for humanity’s space expansion, along with an overview of the current state and future plans for lunar exploration and development worldwide.
Biography
Born in 1967 in Ehime Prefecture, he obtained his Ph.D. in Science from the Mineralogical Institute of the Graduate School of Science at the University of Tokyo. His areas of expertise include planetary geology, mineralogy, and volcanology. After serving as a research fellow funded by the French government at Blaise Pascal University (France), an assistant professor and lecturer at Akita University, and an associate professor at Osaka University, he became a professor at Ritsumeikan University and Director of the Space Earth Exploration Center in 2023.
He has participated in several lunar exploration projects, including as a co-investigator in the Lunar Imager/SpectroMeter (LISM) on board JAXA's "Kaguya" lunar orbiter, lead developer of the Multi-Band Camera (MBC) on board the lunar lander SLIM, which successfully achieved pinpoint landing on the lunar surface on January 20, 2024, and lead developer of the Near-Infrared Imaging Spectrometer (ALIS) on board the rover of the LUPEX mission, scheduled for launch in or after FY 2025.