Curriculum Vitaes
Profile Information
- Affiliation
- Director General, Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency
- Degree
- Ph.D(Mar, 1988, The University of Tokyo)Master(Mar, 1985, The University of Tokyo)
- ORCID ID
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6871-3133- J-GLOBAL ID
- 200901080116851867
- researchmap Member ID
- 1000144511
- External link
Dr. Hitoshi Kuninaka received his Ph.D from the University of Tokyo in 1988. He was promoted to Associate Professor and Professor of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Japan, in 2000 and 2005, respectively. He held concurrently the post of Professor in the Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics, University of Tokyo, Japan, from 2004 to 2018. In 2018, he became the Director General of the Institute of Space and Astronautical Science (ISAS) as well as Vice President of Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA).
He researches the plasma interaction of satellites and develops electric propulsions. He participated in the satellite project, Space Flyer Unit, from 1988 to 1996, and successfully brought it back to Earth via Space Shuttle STS-72. Microwave discharge ion engines, which were invented and developed by Dr. Kuninaka, took Hayabusa explorer on a round-trip journey between Earth and an asteroid from 2003 to 2010. The engines also have been propelling Hayabusa2 explorer toward another asteroid since 2014. The Hayabusa project team has been honored with the National Science Society (NSS) Space Pioneer Award, American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) Electric Propulsion Outstanding Technical Achievement Award, NSS Von Braun Award, International Academy of Astronautics Laurels for Team Achievement, SpaceOps Organization International SpaceOps Award for Outstanding Achievement among others. He received AIAA Fellow membership in 2012 and IAA Space Engineering Section Correspond Member in 2019.
Research Interests
3Research Areas
3Major Research History
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Apr, 2018 - Mar, 2025
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Apr, 2005 - Mar, 2018
Education
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Apr, 1983 - Mar, 1988
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Apr, 1979 - Mar, 1983
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Apr, 1976 - Mar, 1979
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Apr, 1973 - Mar, 1976
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Apr, 1967 - Mar, 1973
Major Awards
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Nov, 2021
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Dec, 2020
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Sep, 2020
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Nov, 2017
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Apr, 2015
Major Papers
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Vacuum and Surface Science, 63(4) 183-188, Apr 10, 2020 InvitedLead authorThe microwave discharge plasma sources contributed to the reciprocating powered flight between Earth and the asteroids as the main propulsion system of the Hayabusa and Hayabusa2 asteroid explorers, and showed its high performance. The electron cyclotron resonance discharge only heats the electrons and does not induce ion sputtering damage. The reasons of high performance and long life are derived and proved theoretically, experimentally, and in practical use in space. In addition to further space applications, efforts are also being made for industrial applications.
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J. Inst. Electrostat. Jpn., 44(3) 128-134, Mar, 2020 Peer-reviewedLast authorElectric charge accumulation can cause failure during vacuum manufacturing processes. For the charge neutralization in vacuum environment, cyclical change of its pressure to produce intermittent passive discharges according to the Paschen's law is often used; however, it is still insufficient to increse production efficiency. The goal of this study is to increase the charge neutralization rate in vacuum environments (10-10-4 Pa) using an electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) plasma source developed by JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) to neutralize the charge of spacecrafts emitting ions from their thrusters. We investigated the charge neutralization of a 50 mm × 50 mm plate with capacitance of 1.7 μF at initial voltage of 200 V, where the plate is placed 30 cm away from the ECR neutralizer. The time required to reach 37% of the initial voltage was 0.1 s for positive charge and 27 s for negative charge. In addition, improvement of the electron extraction electrode for the ECR neutralizer led to five times higher neutralization current compared to the previous ECR neutralizer at 10 W power and 0.1 mg/s xenon flow rate.
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Acta Astronautica, 166 69-77, Jan, 2020 Peer-reviewedLast author
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日本惑星科学会誌, 22(2), 2013 Invited宇宙工学は、宇宙への往来の実現を目指し、技術を切磋琢磨してきた。その成果の端的な例は、「はやぶさ」にて実現された地球〜小惑星間往復航行（２００３年〜２０１０年）である。それにより、科学や技術分野を越えて、より大きな世界観を得ることができた。次の新しい知見を得るために、科学的な意義はもちろんのこと、「宇宙を自在に往来する独自能力の維持発展」と「人類の活動領域の宇宙への拡大」という宇宙工学・宇宙探査に跨る目標を担い、「はやぶさ２」小惑星探査ミッションが開発中である。
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JOURNAL OF PROPULSION AND POWER, 23(3) 544-551, May, 2007 Peer-reviewed
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プラズマ・核融合学会誌, 82(5) 300-305, May, 2006 InvitedLead authorプラズマ生成に直流放電を利用する従来式電気ロケットは、放電電極損耗という劣化要素を含み、長寿命・高信頼を必須とする宇宙機械において重大な問題を抱えていた。これをマイクロ波放電による無電極化にて根本的に解決し、日本独自のシステムとしてマイクロ波放電式イオンエンジンが開発された。「はやぶさ」小惑星探査機は、2003年５月から2年余を掛けて、太陽距離0.86天文単位から1.7天文単位に至る広範な宇宙を走破して、目的天体「いとかわ」とのランデブーに成功した。この間、主推進装置である４台のマイクロ波放電式イオンエンジンは、22kgの推進剤キセノンを消費して、総増速量1,400m/s、延べ作動時間25,800時間という世界一級の成果を挙げた。慣性（弾道）飛行していたこれまでの「人工惑星」「人工衛星」とは異なり、高性能推進機関を搭載する宇宙機は、動力航行する能力を持ち、「宇宙船」に分類されるべき新しい技術である。
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日本航空宇宙学会誌, 53(618) 203-210, Jul, 2005 Invited
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ACTA ASTRONAUTICA, 55(1) 27-38, Jul, 2004 Peer-reviewedLead author
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日本航空宇宙学会論文集, 52(602) 129-134, 2004 Peer-reviewedThe microwave discharge ion engine generates plasmas of the main ion source as well as the neutralizer using 4GHz microwave without discharge electrodes and hollow cathodes, so that long life and durability against oxygen and air are expected. MUSES-C “HAYABUSA” spacecraft installing four microwave discharge ion engines was launched into deep space by M-V rocket on May 9, 2003. After vacuum exposure and several runs of baking for reduction of residual gas the ion engine system established the continuous acceleration of the spacecraft toward an asteroid. The Doppler shift measurement of the communication microwave revealed the performance of ion engines, which is 8mN thrust force for a single unit with 3,200sec specific impulse at 23mN/kW thrust power ratio. At the beginning of December 2003 the accumulated operational time exceeded 7,000 hours and units.
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JOURNAL OF PROPULSION AND POWER, 14(6) 1022-1026, Nov, 1998 Peer-reviewed
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Aeronautical and space sciences Japan, 46(530) 174-180, Mar, 1998 Invited
Misc.
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Aeronautical and space sciences Japan, 57(669) 295-302, 2009 Corresponding author
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44th AIAA/ASME/SAE/ASEE Joint Propulsion Conference and Exhibit, 2008
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44th AIAA/ASME/SAE/ASEE Joint Propulsion Conference and Exhibit, 2008
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Hosokawa Powder Technology Foundation ANNUAL REPORT, 15 118-120, 2007 Lead author
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宇宙航空研究開発機構特別資料 JAXA-SP-, (06-006) 9.19-9.24, Nov 1, 2006
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(5) 12-18, Aug 1, 2005The microwave discharge ion engines 'micro10s' are devoted to the main propulsion on 'HAYABUSA' asteroid explorer. In the development program various kinds of tests and assessments were applied to the ion engines and the spacecraft; the endurance test, the EMI susceptibility test, the interference test between plasma and communication microwave, the beam exhaust test on the spacecraft, the assessment on plasma interference with solar array, so on. The spacecraft was input in the deep space by M-V rocket on May 9, 2003. After vacuum exposure and several runs of baking for reduction of residual gas the ion engine system established the continuous acceleration of the spacecraft toward the asteroid 'ITOKAWA'. On the beginning of December 2004 the ion engines reached the total number of space operational time 20,000 hour. And the spacecraft passed by the aphelion 1.7 astronautical unit on February 18, 2005 so that the microwave discharge ion engine micro10s became the electric propulsion to arrive at the furthest space from Sun. It will rendezvous with the target asteroid on September 2005.
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総研大ジャーナル, 7 35-35, May, 2005 Lead author
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週刊ポスト, 36(27) 196-199, Jun 25, 2004 Last author
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週刊ポスト, 36(26) 198-201, Jun 18, 2004 Last author
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2002(1) 53-56, Jan 31, 2002
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43 101-106, Mar, 2001 Lead authorEach basic Technology for SPS has been well-defined and well-developed. But its huge size in the system and the concept requires extra efforts for the mass-production and the system realization. At the beginning of the new millennium the human being will construct the International Space Station (ISS), which power capability is rated 100kW two orders of magnitude less than 10MW power of SPS2000. Beyond SPS2000 the powerful fullsize SPS, which will generate 5GW electric power, is extra two orders of magnitude larger than that of SPS2000. The state of arts in 2000 should be built-up, turned-up, standardized, and/or enhanced step by step in order to realize SPS. The author insists the roadmap of implementation for SPS2000, which targets the space business parks and the co-orbiting free flyers with several 100kW electric power as the interim objectives and finally goals to SPS2000. Each researcher and designer can cooperate to develop and research each segment and component in time for the schedule mentioned in the roadmap. As for the technology on the high voltage power generation the 300V bus power should be standardized as a first step and finally 1kV bus will be realized for SPS2000. The High Voltage Solar Array experiment (HVSA), which will demonstrate the photovoltaic power generation in 280V bus voltage in space, is accepted as a payload of the Mission Demonstration Satellite-3 (MDS-3) of NASDA. The author proposes MDS-3/HVSA as the corner stone for the roadmap.
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IEICE technical report. Power engineering in electronics and communications, 94(149) 39-46, Jul 18, 1994Institute of Space and Astronautical Science developed High Voltage Solar Array Experiment onboard Space Flyer Unit(SFU),a Japanese reusable free-flying platform,for the space flight in February 1995.High Voltage Solar Array Experiment will demonstrate Photovoltaic power generation with high voltage in space.It will change series-parallel connection of four solar cell modules and will measure the plasma interaction caused by high voltage maximum 26OV.This papet reports the outline of the space experiment and our studies on the plasma interactions.
Major Books and Other Publications
5Presentations
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Jan, 2021, Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency(JAXA)(ISAS)Space Transportation Symposium FY2020 (January 14-15, 2021. Online Meeting)
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Advances in Optical and Mechanical Technologies for Telescopes and Instrumentation IV, Dec 14, 2020, SPIE Invited
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Feb, 2019, Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency(JAXA)(ISAS)2019 Symposium on Laboratory Experiment for Space Science (February 28 - March 1, 2019. Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)(ISAS)), Sagamihara, Kanagawa Japan
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Proceedings of the International Astronautical Congress, IAC, 2019
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航空原動機・宇宙推進講演会講演論文集(CD-ROM), 2019
Professional Memberships
5Works
9Major Research Projects
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研究成果展開事業（産学官の連携による共創の「場」の形成支援）, 科学技術振興機構, Jul, 2015 - Mar, 2020
Industrial Property Rights
17Major Media Coverage
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ＮＨＫ, ＮＨＫスペシャル, https://www.facebook.com/NHKonline/posts/2639642986062350/, Mar 17, 2019 TV or radio program
