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Sugita-Kasahara-Morota Lab (Planetary Exploration Research Group)
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The lab uses spacecraft to study the Moon and asteroids, aiming to uncover the origins of the solar system and of life.
AboutAbout the lab
From planetary exploration to the formation of the solar system
The Planetary Exploration Research Group uses planetary exploration as its main approach to study the formation of the solar system and the mystery of how life began.
The group consists of three labs: the Sugita Lab, the Kasahara Lab, and the Morota Lab.
The Kasahara Lab develops particle detectors to be carried on spacecraft, and uses the data from these instruments to investigate planetary magnetospheres and the formation of celestial bodies.
The Morota Lab investigates the history of impacts by celestial bodies on the Earth and the Moon from records of lunar craters and spacecraft data, and takes part in exploration missions such as Hayabusa2.
Key terms
- Plasma
- A state in which the atoms of a gas are separated into electrons and ions, giving it an electric charge. Space is filled with particles in this state.
- Magnetosphere
- The region influenced by a planet's magnetic field. It blocks the stream of particles blowing from the Sun, and gives rise to auroras and radiation belts.
- Mass spectrometer
- An instrument that measures the mass of particles to determine which substances are present and in what amounts.
NewsLab news
Paper on neon measurement in the Martian atmosphere published in Geochemical Journal
Paper by a researcher published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters, among others
Paper by a student and an Assistant Professor published in The Planetary Science Journal
Paper co-authored by an Assistant Professor published in Progress in Earth and Planetary Science
Student receives the Best Presentation Award from the Japan Society for Planetary Sciences
ResearchResearch themes
The lab uses planetary exploration as its main approach to study the formation of the solar system and the origins of life. Its work spans many stages of research, from analyzing exploration data to developing instruments to be carried on spacecraft.
*Illustrative imageInvestigating planetary magnetospheres
To solve the mysteries of the plasma that fills space and of Earth's radiation belts, the lab designs and develops particle detectors to be carried on spacecraft and rockets, and analyzes the resulting data (Kasahara Lab).
*Illustrative imageExploring solid planets and small bodies
The lab develops a mass spectrometer, to be mounted on a rover traveling through the Moon's polar regions, that can detect trace amounts of water, as well as an ion mass spectrometer for the comet mission Comet Interceptor (Kasahara Lab).
*Illustrative imageThe history of impacts on the Earth and the Moon
From records of lunar craters, the lab investigates how the frequency of impacts has changed over time and where the impacting bodies came from. It also estimates the ages of ancient large impact basins using data from Kaguya (Morota Lab).
*Illustrative imageParticipation in lunar and planetary exploration missions
In Hayabusa2, the lab led the operation planning for the optical navigation camera and the selection of landing sites. It is also involved in future missions, including exploration of the Moon's polar regions and a Martian moons sample return mission (Morota Lab).
MembersFaculty
The members of the Planetary Exploration Research Group consist of faculty members, research fellows, and doctoral and master's students.
- ProfessorSeiji SugitaPublications ↗
- Associate ProfessorSatoshi KasaharaPublications ↗
- Project ProfessorTomokatsu Morota
- Assistant ProfessorYuichiro ChoPublications ↗
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Report an errorAbout the images
The top and research theme images are illustrative and were not taken at the lab. They are cropped from Wikimedia Commons images. Cropped CC BY-SA images are provided under the same CC BY-SA license as the original (version shown on each line).
- Top image: “Ryugu - RGB False Color - July )” Kevin Gill from Los Angeles, CA, United States / CC BY 2.0 (cropped)
- Investigating planetary magnetospheres: “Arase ISAS (cropped)” 宇宙科学研究所(ISAS) / CC BY 4.0 (cropped)
- Exploring solid planets and small bodies: “Comet 67P on 19 September 2014 NavCam mosaic” ESA/Rosetta/NAVCAM / CC BY-SA 3.0 igo (cropped)
- The history of impacts on the Earth and the Moon: “Mare Orientale (Lunar Orbiter 4)” NASA / Public domain (cropped)
- Participation in lunar and planetary exploration missions: “Hayabusa2 approaching asteroid” DLR German Aerospace Center / CC BY 2.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Kasahara Lab): “Aurora Australis From ISS” ISS Expedition 23 crew / Public domain (cropped)
- Related lab (Namiki Lab (RISE Lunar and Planetary Exploration Study Office)): “PIA16587 - GRAIL's Gravity Field of the Moon” NASA/ARC/MIT / Public domain (cropped)
- Related lab (Yoshikawa-Yoshioka Lab): “Hisaki-sprint-a-artistconcept2013” Nesnad / CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Saito-Shinohara Lab (Space Plasma Division)): “Aurora borealis over Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska” United States Air Force photo by Senior Airman Joshua Strang / Public domain (cropped)
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