Statement of Objectives (submitted to MIT Aero/astro in December 2004)

I have had a strong interest in Space Engineering since I was a little child.
When I was six years old, the biggest astronautical event since Apollo landed on the
moon took place; Voyager II approached Neptune. Every day I clung to the TV not to
miss a single piece of news of Voyager. I was entirely fascinated by the mystery of our
universe and the marvelous technology of sending a spacecraft to such a faraway place.
This experience decided my future. Since then, my dream has been to build a
sophisticated spacecraft like Voyager and contribute to new discoveries which might
change our whole view of the universe.

To make my dream come true, I majored in Aerospace Engineering in
University of Tokyo. I have taken many courses necessary for advanced study of space
system engineering as I mentioned at Subjects taken of the application form. My
thesis is about analysis and control of high-frequency oscillation occurring in nano-class
satellites which make astrometric observations. I made a computer simulation program
based on a multi-flexible-body system model which sufficiently expresses the oscillation
of satellites, and as a result I proposed both passive and active ways to control
oscillation effectively.

My strength is not only that I have knowledge of space system engineering, but
also that I have the experiences of making actual satellites. I have been involved in a
students micro satellite project named PRISM (Pico-satellite for Remote-sensing and
Innovative Space Missions) in the University of Tokyo since two years ago. In the
project I have served as a member of the communication subsystem, and developed the
power saving function for the receiving system and encryption of the protocol. In this
summer term, I also worked on another project called ARLISS (A Rocket Launch for
International Student Satellites), making a beverage-can-size satellite called Can-sat
and launching it with armature model rocket at Black Rock Desert in Nevada. In this
project I served as the project manager and took the initiative in developing a Can-sat
on which we conducted an INS (Inertial Navigation System) experiment.

To prepare for studying abroad I joined KAIST Summer School for
International Student in Korea last year. In the one-week course in KAIST (Korea
Advanced Institute of Science and Technology) I had lectures about space craft design,
and I also made friends with many Korean students. My language skill is also my
strength for the international career. I learned not only English, but also Chinese,
Spanish, Korean and French.

I am confident that I have used my undergraduate study time at the University
of Tokyo wisely, but I think Massachusetts Institute of Technology is more appropriate
place for my graduate study for several reasons. First, the Department of Aeronautics
and Astronautics of MIT is one of the most outstanding institutes in the most advanced
country in this field. Second, the Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics of MIT
has ties with various space industrial companies and governmental agencies such as
NASA and Lockheed-Martin, so I would have a chance to work with them and learn
practical, advanced skills and knowledge from them. Third, there are students from
various countries in MIT. It would help me to construct an international human
network, which might mean a lot in my future international career. Furthermore, I
think the U.S.A. is more appropriate place to make my dream come true than Japan
because Japanese space exploration is limited for some political reasons. For example,
in Japan we cannot use atomic devices such as Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generators,
which is essential energy source of the spacecrafts which fly so far away from the sun
that solar cells cannot be used, so it is almost impossible to conduct deep space
exploration missions like Voyager, in which I am especially interested.

I am especially interested in Space Systems Laboratory (SSL). SSL does quite
interesting and challenging work which really matches my interest, such as the
SPHERES project performing an experiment of formation flight in International Space
Station, and the ExNPS project making a study to enable space interferometry with
multiple free-flying independent spacecraft. If I am admitted to the Department of
Aeronautics and Astronautics of MIT, I would like to take part in challenging projects I
mentioned above, and I would also like to take following courses which closely relate
with my interest; 16.851 Satellite Engineering by Prof. XXXXX and Prof. XXXXX,
16.89 Space Systems Engineering by Prof. XXXXX, Prof. XXXXX, and Prof XXXXX,
and 16.412J Cognitive Robotics by Prof. XXXXX and Prof. XXXXX, and 16.895J.
16.895J Engineering Apollo by Prof. XXXXX and Prof. XXXXX also seems quite
attractive to me.

My short-term objectives in MIT University are to make an advanced study on
Space System Engineering and obtain Master of Science degree, and then I would like
to make a continuous study and acquire a Ph.D. My ultimate career goal is to be an
outstanding space engineer, and apply my knowledge and skill on Space System
Engineering for challenging scientific exploration mission by governmental agency like
JPL, NASA. I would also like to encourage international cooperation in Space
Engineering field with my experience in both U.S.A. and Japan.

I would like to do an outstanding job in the future and I believe that MIT will
surely help my ambition. I dont want to end up just a normal engineer. I dont want to
be satisfied with just doing the best work in Japan. I want to do ingenious, inimitable,
and international work in my life as a Space System engineer, and I believe that MIT
will best prepare me to achieve this ultimate goal. I am also confident that my
knowledge and experience of Space System Engineering learned in the University of
Tokyo will contribute to your program. I earnestly ask for your favorable consideration
in accepting me.