KECK INSTITUTE FOR SPACE STUDIES

     

Exploring Together: US-Japan Space Collaboration Symposium

Date: Friday, January 24, 2025

Time: Refreshments from 1pm, with a 1:30pm start and evening reception from 5pm

Location: Ramo Auditorium at Caltech and livestreamed for an online audience



Exploring Together: US-Japan Space Collaboration Symposium celebrates the long-standing and successful partnership between the United States and Japan in space science and exploration. Co-hosted by the Keck Institute for Space Studies at Caltech and Consulate General of Japan in Los Angeles, and in partnership with JAPAN HOUSE Los Angeles and NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), this event will highlight existing US-Japan space activities and seek to foster new collaborations within the US and Japanese space community.

This symposium will showcase the latest advancements and future developments in lunar exploration and beyond, including areas of existing and potential future collaboration between US and Japanese efforts. Through expert panels, attendees will hear from leading experts from the US and Japan as they discuss groundbreaking missions and evolving technologies that promise to shape the next era of space discovery. These sessions will underscore the value of and opportunity for collaboration between US and Japanese space agencies, private industries, and research institutions.

The event also provides a platform to enhance connections, with representatives from both public and private sectors engaging in networking and discussions of potential partnerships. By fostering linkages between industry and academia, Exploring Together aims to catalyze the innovation needed for future space science and exploration, while strengthening the bonds between the United States and Japan as they look toward the future of space activities.

This event is co-hosted by the Keck Institute for Space Studies at Caltech and Consulate General of Japan in Los Angeles, in partnership with JAPAN HOUSE Los Angeles and JPL.




Exploring Together: US-Japan Space Collaboration Symposium

Friday, January 24, 2025
Ramo Auditorium - Caltech


Time
Event
1:00 - 1:30 Registration and Refreshments
1:30 - 1:45 Introduction and Welcome:
  • Bethany Ehlmann and Harriet Brettle, Director and Executive Director of the Keck Institute for Space Studies
  • Consul General Sone, Consul General of Japan in Los Angeles
  • Yuko Kaifu - President of JAPAN HOUSE Los Angeles
1:45 - 2:05 Opening Remarks
  • Amit Kshatriya, Deputy Associate Administrator for the Moon to Mars Program in the Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate, NASA
  • Keiichi Wada, Director of JAXA Washington D.C. Office (online address)
2:05 - 2:20 Naoko Yamazaki, former JAXA astronaut (online address)
2:20 - 3:15 Panel 1: Lunar Exploration
This panel will explore past, present, and future lunar missions from the US and Japan, including areas of collaboration with representatives from agencies, academia, and industry.
  • Bethany Ehlmann, Director of the Keck Institute for Space Studies and Professor of Planetary Science at Caltech (moderator)
  • Gerard van Belle, Director of Science at the Lowell Observatory
  • Ricardo Woodbury, Executive Vice President of Finance, Accounting, & IT at ispace US
  • John Baker, Manager, JPL Lunar and Low Cost Projects
  • Yusuke Kajiwara, S&MA/QMS Manager, Advanced Space Mobility Development Div., Toyota Motor Corporation
3:15 - 3:40 Break - Coffee and Refreshments
3:40 - 4:35 Panel 2: New Frontiers in Deep Space Science and Technology
Both the US and Japan have extensive experience in space exploration missions in deep space and this panel will discuss past, present, and future missions that showcase US and Japan shared interests in such exploration.
  • Hiro Ono, Group Supervisor of the Robotic Motility Group at JPL (moderator)
  • Tomohiro Usui, Professor in the Department of Solar System Sciences, JAXA
  • Charles Whetsel, Manager of the Moon to Mars Support Office, JPL
  • Stacy Weinstein-Weiss, Uranus Orbiter and Probe Team Lead at JPL
  • John Eiler, Professor of Geology and Geochemistry at Caltech
4:35 - 5:00 Concluding Session
  • Lightning Round Pitches
  • Emily Desai, Senior Deputy Director for Global and Strategic Program Planning and External Affairs, California Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz)
  • Closing Remarks
5:00 - 6:30 Reception at the Athenaeum

Lodging for out-of-town attendees

Due to local Pasadena events, hotel rooms may be limited. There are a number of hotels that are close to the Caltech campus where we have a negotiated rate. (Please note that this negotiated rate does not guarantee you the lowest rate as there may be internet specials or AAA rates that may be better.)

Please note that with enough notice, you can reserve rooms for attendees at the Athenaeum, which has been recognized as a Platinum Club of America and is conveniently located on the Caltech Campus. Contact Janet Seid if you would like to check the availability of this option.


Parking (for Visitors and for JPL Personnel)

Please park in Parking Lot 10 or 12 (primary), Parking Structure 1 (secondary) or Holliston Parking Structure - locations are shown in this map.

Purchase a parking permit at the pay station identified on the map in Structure 1 or Holliston Parking Structure (JPLers may use their JPL hang tag) and display it on your dashboard. Please park in any unnamed spaces.


Maps and General Information on Pasadena