[No. 139] Ai Nomi

I would like to thank the professors involved for giving me this valuable opportunity to write for the "Keio University Alumni" column. I am currently working as a researcher at the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). I believe I had a fulfilling student life at university where I was able to do everything I wanted to do, and I would like to share some of those experiences.

I had always liked mathematics (and was not very good at Japanese language), so I had a vague idea that I would pursue a science track in college. In high school, there was a special "space class" where lecturers from various space-related fields gave talks. It was there that I thought, "Space seems interesting!" and that's what sparked my ambition to pursue a career related to space. As I was advancing to the university from a Keio affiliate school (I graduated from Keio Girls Senior High School), I had the chance to visit laboratories at the Faculty of Science and Technology beforehand. That's where I encountered the Takahashi Laboratory. I remember thinking, "I could study space here," and deciding to join the Takahashi Laboratory, which led me to choose the Faculty of Science and Technology and my specific field of study.

After entering university, I joined the Athletic Association's Volleyball Team, serving as the assistant manager for external affairs and later as the head manager. I vividly remember struggling to balance my academic studies with my club activities. In my first and second years, my daily routine consisted of attending classes from 9:00 a.m. and then going to practice for the Athletic Association almost every day after 6:00 p.m. Looking back, I think having those two pillars—classes and club activities—is what helped me establish a structured daily rhythm.

At the end of my third year, I had an interview for my laboratory assignment and was successfully placed in the Takahashi Laboratory, which was my first choice. In my fourth year, although I had fewer classes, I struggled to balance my unfamiliar research activities with my final year of club activities. However, since both were things I had chosen and enjoyed, I was able to see them through. While writing my graduation thesis, our team managed to place in the top 8 at the national tournament. In the Takahashi Laboratory, volunteers participated in the CanSat (mock satellite) project competition every summer, which was another significant experience for me. While research is often a solitary task, the CanSat project involved working late into the night, developing the satellite through discussions with team members. I will never forget the joy I felt when the CanSat we built actually worked.

I chose to continue my research in the Takahashi Laboratory during my master's program to pursue the same research on satellite attitude control that I had started as an undergraduate. Separate from my research, I decided to pursue my long-held dream of studying abroad, which I had been considering since my undergraduate years. Starting in the summer of my first year in the master's program, I spent about 10 months as an exchange student at Linköping University in Sweden. Everything was new to me—classes in unfamiliar English, daily life, and the Swedish language which I had never heard before. I was often bewildered and faced many struggles at first, but through interactions with other international students and with Swedes who were studying Japanese, I was able to gain perspectives I never would have considered before. During holidays, I had the opportunity to travel to neighboring European countries and experience many different things. On weekends, I partied with my university friends. Those 10 months profoundly changed my values.

After returning to Japan, I went back to the Takahashi Laboratory and dedicated myself to space research. I was able to participate in an international conference in Boston, for which I had submitted a paper while studying abroad. There, I learned the significance and enjoyment of exchanging opinions with experts from various fields. I feel that my approach to research changed slightly through my experience abroad, and I became more proactive in attending conferences and submitting papers. I was not good at writing papers, but I am grateful to Professor Takahashi, who taught me the joy of research and guided me from scratch when I knew nothing about how to write a paper. In October of my second year in the master's program, I attended the International Astronautical Congress in Toronto as a student sponsored by JAXA. There, I had the chance to interact with outstanding students sponsored by NASA and ESA, which was a great source of inspiration for me. I had opportunities to take on various challenges, not only in research but also in extracurricular activities, and I feel that these experiences are beneficial in my current professional life.

During my job search, I couldn't decide on just one thing I wanted to do and agonized over it until the very end. However, I decided to join JAXA out of a desire to do new and interesting things, not just to build things.

It has been about a year since I was assigned to a department that researches software engineering. I have been able to work on a wide range of tasks, including being involved in the design of the new HTV (H-II Transfer Vehicle, a cargo spacecraft to the International Space Station), interacting with NASA/ESA, and going on overseas business trips. My days are busy but fulfilling. I hope to continue working hard so that one day I can show Professor Takahashi how much I have grown when we meet at a conference.

My university years were a time when I challenged myself in many ways, had many encounters, and I believe it was the period of my greatest personal growth. My university life at Keio, which gave me so many opportunities and allowed me to carry the keyword "space" from my high school days all the way into my professional career, is an irreplaceable treasure to me.