Dr. Hitoshi Kuninaka received Ph.D from University of Tokyo in 1988, and worked as a
Research Engineer in Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan, from 1988 to
1999. He was promoted to Associate Professor and Full Professor in Japan Aerospace
Exploration Agency, Japan, in 2000 and 2005, respectively. Now he is Program Director of
JSPEC (Lunar Planetary Program Group)/JAXA. He holds concurrently the post of Professor in
Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics, University of Tokyo, Japan.
He researches the plasma interaction of satellites and develops electric propulsion
including DC arcjets, Hall thrusters, ion engine, MPD arcjet, and so on. He participated
in the satellite project, Space Flyer Unit, from 1988 to 1996, and made it return to Earth
via Space Shuttle STS-72 successfully. He invented the microwave discharge ion engines,
which made the explorer HAYABUSA round trip between Earth and an asteroid in 2003 to 2010.
He is received AIAA Fellow membership in 2012.
Hitoshi Kuninaka, PhD.
Program Director, JSPEC (Lunar Planetary Program Group) /JAXA
Professor, Space Transportation, ISAS (Inst. of Space and Astronautical Science) /JAXA
Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency
3-1-1 Yoshinodai, Chuo, Sagamihara, Kanagawa, 252-5210, Japan