Expectations for the Graduate School of Frontier Exploration in Earth and Space

We believe that the cross-disciplinary education in science, engineering, and management promoted by the Graduate School of Frontier Exploration in Earth and Space plays a vital role in cultivating the talent needed to support today’s increasingly complex and advanced space development and space utilization activities. One of the program's key strengths is that, through practical research environments such as the Next-Generation Planetary Development Lab, students can gain knowledge and skills applicable to real mission environments, including spacecraft operations and exploration missions. Through educational and research programs spanning Earth, the Moon, Mars, and ultimately the development of human habitats in space, we expect the graduate school to cultivate individuals equipped not only with technological development capabilities, but also with a broad perspective that integrates operations and practical applications.

We believe that individuals who have developed the cross-disciplinary perspectives fostered by the Graduate School of Frontier Exploration in Earth and Space can contribute across a wide range of roles within our company. We expect them to demonstrate their capabilities in our diverse operations, including spacecraft operations and utilization for commercial space stations and space exploration missions, astronaut training, safety and mission assurance, and business development efforts aimed at expanding humanity’s presence in space.

For example, in operational and utilization activities related to commercial space stations and exploration missions, professionals need not only a strong understanding of scientific and engineering disciplines, but also the ability to design, coordinate, and execute operations while maintaining a systems-level perspective. They must also be able to develop business opportunities through collaboration with space users, organizations, and research institutions from a wide range of disciplines and countries. In addition, in areas such as astronaut training and astronaut health management, we believe that perspectives and insights gained through research—particularly those that view space as a future human habitat and consider humanity’s expansion into space from a holistic perspective—can be applied effectively in practice.