• The Humanosphere is now in the course of expanding into space, a significant divergence from the past when “space” and “the Earth” were quite distinctively separate entities. In addition to more conventional rocket launches and satellite operations, space-related activities have been dramatically scaling up to include on-orbit services, lunar resource development, and suborbital flights; and there are naturally high expectations for the promotion of related research at universities. Ritsumeikan University established the Earth and Space Exploration Center (ESEC) in 2023 as its research flagship as it aims to become a “next-generation research-intensive university.” As a pioneering research organization in Japan dedicated to the expansion of the Humanosphere into the Moon and other planets as well as to the development of infrastructure for space exploration bases, approximately 30 researchers within the University are engaged in research activities in earnest on a wide range of themes on a daily basis. And what is more, research in the field of space is interconnected also with climate change and other global issues facing humanity. In this issue, we introduce some of our researchers whose interest encompasses space in a broader context.