Professor OHTAKE Makiko (Specially Appointment) of the Institute for Planetary Materials (IPM) at Okayama University, has received the Coradini Award, presented by NASA’s Solar System Exploration Research Virtual Institute (SSERVI). The award is an internationally prestigious honor bestowed on researchers who have demonstrated sustained and outstanding scientific achievements in the field of solar system exploration. Professor Ohtake is the first Japanese researcher to receive this award.

Professor Ohtake is widely known as the principal investigator responsible for the development of observational instruments onboard Kaguya (SELENE), JAXA’s lunar orbiter. She has also contributed to numerous lunar and planetary exploration missions, including SLIM (Smart Lander for Investigating Moon), Japan’s first successful lunar landing mission achieved last year. Through detailed analyses of observational data obtained from these missions, she has produced significant scientific findings on the origin and evolution of the Moon, making long-standing and substantial contributions to the advancement of solar system science. This award recognizes the high international regard for her achievements.

The award announcement was made at the NASA Exploration Science Forum 2025, held in New Mexico, USA (July 22–24, local time). In her online acceptance speech, Professor Ohtake expressed her joy at receiving the award and conveyed her sincere gratitude to all those involved in the exploration missions she has worked on. She also shared her expectations for the upcoming LUPEX (Lunar Polar Exploration) mission, planned in collaboration with India, and spoke of her long-term aspiration to support future astronaut-led lunar rock sampling missions.

Okayama University congratulates Professor Ohtake on this outstanding achievement and looks forward to her continued success, while remaining committed to fostering the next generation of space science researchers.

■About the Coradini Award:
The Coradini Award is presented annually by NASA’s Solar System Exploration Research Virtual Institute (SSERVI) to researchers who have made exceptional contributions to the field of solar system exploration. It is a highly respected international award that recognizes long-term and significant contributions to the advancement of planetary science.

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