Hiroshi Yamakawa

JAXA President

Dr. Hiroshi Yamakawa became a research associate and an associate professor at the Institute of Space and Astronautical Science (ISAS/JAXA) in 1993-2003, and an associate professor at Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) in 2003-2006. He engaged in mission design of numerous Earth-orbiting scientific satellite projects as well as in lunar and interplanetary missions. He also engaged in the navigation, guidance, and control systems of the JAXA’s solid propellant rocket as well as the liquid propellant reusable sounding rocket.

During his professorship at ISAS/JAXA, he was a visiting scientist at NASA JPL (Jet Propulsion Laboratory) in 1997-1998 and at ESA ESTEC (European Space Technology Center) in 2002. In the meanwhile, he was appointed as the project manager of the Euro-Japan collaborative mission to Mercury "BepiColombo" from 2000 through 2006.

Dr. Yamakawa then moved to Kyoto University, Japan in 2006 as a professor of the Research Institute of Sustainable Humanosphere, a professor of the Graduate School of Engineering (cooperating chair) and a deputy director of the Unit for Synergetic Studies of Space.

While his academic interest still lay in orbital mechanics, trajectory optimization, space propulsion, and space situational awareness, he was appointed as the secretary general at the Secretariat of Strategic Headquarters for Space Policy, Cabinet Secretariat, Government of Japan in 2010 through 2012.

Then, he was assigned member of the Committee for National Space Policy, Cabinet Office from 2012 through 2018.

Dr. YAMAKAWA currently resides and takes leadership role as the President of JAXA since April 2018.