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Spacecraft Dynamics and Control Lab
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The lab uses mechanics to analyze and control the motion of spacecraft and balloons.
AboutAbout the lab
Controlling spacecraft motion based on mechanical models
The Spacecraft Dynamics and Control Lab researches technologies for controlling the orbit and attitude of spacecraft such as rockets, satellites, and planetary probes.
Because spacecraft behavior follows mechanical models faithfully, the lab uses those models to work on attitude control technologies and trajectory design for next-generation spacecraft that will carry out increasingly diverse and sophisticated missions.
The lab also handles the control of mechanical systems other than spacecraft, such as the attitude dynamics of stratospheric balloons and cooperative coverage control of quadcopter swarms.
On the lab's website, it is introduced under the name "Satoh Lab."
Key terms
- Spacecraft
- A general term for mechanical systems operated in space, such as rockets, satellites, and planetary probes
- Attitude control
- Control that maintains or changes the orientation of a spacecraft to suit its purpose
- Halo orbit
- An orbit around a Lagrange point (a position near two celestial bodies where a spacecraft can easily remain)
NewsLab news
An undergraduate student received the Eiji Muto Outstanding Student Award from the Japan Society for Design Engineering
Prof. Satoh received an academic paper commendation from the Foundation for the Promotion of Hydraulic and Pneumatic Equipment Technology
An undergraduate student received the Hatakeyama Award from the Japan Society of Mechanical Engineers
An undergraduate student received the Osaka University Kusumoto Award
ResearchResearch themes
Focusing on the fact that spacecraft behavior follows mechanical models, the lab researches spacecraft attitude control technologies and trajectory design based on those models. The research extends beyond spacecraft to stratospheric balloons, the attitude motion of rigid bodies, and the control of mechanical systems.
*Illustrative imageSpacecraft attitude control
The lab focuses on Control Moment Gyros (CMGs) and studies the limit cycle problem and the singularity problem of CMGs. It also works on attitude estimation and control for micro-satellites, optimal attitude control, and parameter identification for air-bearing experimental vehicles.
*Illustrative imageSpacecraft trajectory design
The lab works on halo orbits around Lagrange points and orbit transfers using electric propulsion. Its subjects also include spacecraft formation flying, landing control on asteroids, optimization of rendezvous and docking, and orbit transfers between orbits around the moons of Mars.
*Illustrative imageSpace applications of stochastic systems control
This research applies the control of stochastic systems, such as stochastic bounded stabilization control and stochastic optimal control, to space engineering. It also deals with Wiener processes.
*Illustrative imageAttitude and control of stratospheric balloons
The lab studies the attitude dynamics of stratospheric balloons and attitude control of the gondola. Its work includes applying CMGs to the attitude control of stratospheric balloon telescopes, examining dynamics models of balloon systems, and attitude rate damping using CMGs.
MembersFaculty
The members of the Spacecraft Dynamics and Control Lab (Satoh Lab) are faculty and working-professional doctoral, doctoral, master's, and undergraduate students.As of 2026
- ProfessorSatoshi Satoh
- Assistant ProfessorYuta Imoto
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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: “Soyuz TMA-7 spacecraft2edit1” The original uploader was Thegreenj at English Wikipedia. / Public domain (cropped)
- Spacecraft attitude control: “ISS gyroscopes (cropped)” NASA / Public domain (cropped)
- Spacecraft trajectory design: “Webb's Orbit at Sun-Earth Lagrange Point 2 (L2) (01F4STZH25YJH07WTN7XJYQP8P)” IMAGE: NASA, STScI / Public domain (cropped)
- Space applications of stochastic systems control: “STS120LaunchHiRes-edit1” NASA; edited by jjron (tilt corrected) / Public domain (cropped)
- Attitude and control of stratospheric balloons: “NASA Scientific Balloon in Antarctica ( )” NASA Goddard Space Flight Center from Greenbelt, MD, USA / Public domain (cropped)
- Related lab (System Design Lab): “Electromagnetic Levitation” HeavyMetalChicken / CC0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Micro Dynamics Lab): “Universal testing machine” Ganitz / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Bio-Machine Fusion Wet Robotics Lab): “Rapid Mixing Using a Winding Channel” Kimbalm / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Quantum Materials Physics Lab): “Uraninite crystal structure (Wyckoff 1963) polyhedra model crystallographic standard alignment” Ra'ike (Wikipedia) / CC0 (cropped)
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