On August 4, 2025, a special lecture was held at the SANKEN Auditorium, featuring Associate Professor Christopher E. Carr from the Georgia Institute of Technology. His talk was entitled “Seeking Evidence of an Organic Carbon Cycle in the Clouds of Venus: Preparing for the Rocket Lab Mission to Venus and Follow-on Missions.”
He is an internationally recognized researcher whose work bridges aerospace engineering and earth and atmospheric sciences, with a particular emphasis on astrobiology—exploring the origins and persistence of life in the universe. In his lecture, he presented the latest advancements in methods for exploring the Venusian atmosphere, along with updates on NASA’s planetary exploration initiatives.
This lecture not only highlighted the potential for planetary exploration to benefit life on Earth, but also resonated deeply with SANKEN’s new initiatives. In May 2025, SANKEN established the Center for Lunar City Development, a new research hub dedicated to addressing the challenges facing Japan’s space industry and to regaining international competitiveness. Leveraging SANKEN’s expertise in measurement technologies, devices, and advanced materials, the center aims to collaborate across Osaka University to develop sustainable lifestyles in space and on the lunar surface by maximizing the reuse of limited resources. His exploration of “life in extraterrestrial environments” is closely aligned with the center’s vision, directly contributing to the advancement of life-support technologies and the establishment of sustainable habitation in space.
Through this lecture, he not only demonstrated the frontiers of interdisciplinary research connecting astrobiology and nanotechnology but also underscored the broad academic contributions and societal mission of SANKEN.
Moving forward, SANKEN will continue to drive innovative research that links space exploration with the future of human society, with the Center for Lunar City Development as its core hub.
(Professor Masateru TANIGUCHI, SANKEN)