NEWS

Ritsumeikan University held Space Summer School 2026 at the Biwako Kusatsu Campus (BKC) on September 12 and 13. Approximately 100 participants, including university students and students from colleges of technology from across Japan, ranging from Akita in the north to Oita in the south, as well as students from Ritsumeikan University and Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University, engaged in practical learning activities centered on space-related themes.

This summer school is an expansion of the Ritsumeikan Space Management Program (RSMP)¹ and the Space Management Foundation Course at BKC, initiatives launched by the Ritsumeikan Trust in FY2025, and recruited participants from universities nationwide. 

The program adopts a Project Based Learning (PBL) approach that integrates the fields of science, engineering, and management, with the aim of cultivating individuals capable of addressing challenges related to space and global issues through both scientific and technological expertise and management perspectives. It also provided participants with an opportunity to experience the learning approach of the Graduate School of Frontier Exploration in Earth and Space ² (working name), commonly known as FREX, scheduled to open in April 2028.

Participants worked in teams of approximately four to five members on the Space Mission Design Workshop and CanSat+R Workshop.

In the Space Mission Design Workshop, participants presented challenges related to space such as: How can rocks be identified on an unknown planet? What kinds of IoT services utilizing nanosatellites could contribute to society? If technologies developed for use on the Moon were to be spun off for terrestrial applications, what technologies would be most beneficial? Participants selected one of three themes: “Planetary Exploration: Explore Rocks on an Unknown Planet Using a Smartphone,” “Satellite Development: Designing an IoT Mission Using a Nanosatellite,” or “Construction on the Moon: Lunar Base Construction and Dual-use Innovation.” Researchers scheduled to join FREX facilitated the workshops within their respective areas of expertise. Through extensive team discussions, participants developed mission proposals aimed at solving challenges in space and creating new value and presented their ideas in poster sessions.

In addition, the CanSat+R Workshop, a hands-on program involving the fabrication and drop testing of a beverage-can-sized simulated satellite known as a CanSat, was held in Shiga for the first time. Working in teams, participants repeatedly refined their satellite designs to achieve mission objectives. 

Through iterative cycles of design, fabrication, experimentation, and evaluation within limited time constraints, they experienced key processes involved in satellite development. 

Participants constructed their own CanSat systems, improved them based on the outcomes of drop tests, and attempted subsequent trials. Through this process, they also learned about management practices and teamwork, both of which are indispensable to space development.

Over the two-day program, participants collaborated across institutional affiliations and disciplinary backgrounds, cultivating the creativity and practical competencies required to realize a future society that utilizes space. The summer school also incorporated rubric-based assessment methods and concept mapping activities designed to visualize competencies required in space development, including communication skills, teamwork, and decision-making abilities, while supporting the structuring of knowledge. By reflecting on their development before and after the program, participants gained a deeper understanding of the importance of not only specialized expertise but also the ability to collaborate with diverse individuals to solve complex challenges.

The themes addressed by students during this summer school, Planetary Exploration, Satellite Development, and Construction on the Moon, represent only a small part of the scope of FREX. Information on researchers joining FREX and specific research themes will be introduced on this website in the future.

1) The Ritsumeikan Space Management Program (RSMP) is an educational program that provides an integrated learning experience encompassing not only technologies related to space development and space utilization, but also commercialization, law, policy, and project management. Through interdisciplinary learning, the program aims to cultivate professionals capable of contributing to the space sector. The program is sponsored by the Aerospace Human Resource Development Program, Space × Humanities and Social Sciences Interdisciplinary Human Resource Development Program (commissioned program for the Promotion of Aerospace Science and Technology) of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT).

2) The establishment plan for the Graduate School of Frontier Exploration in Earth and Space is currently under development and remains subject to change.