The 6th Kibo Robot Programming Challenge: Report on the Workshop, Social Gathering, and Facility Tour at the Tsukuba Space Center

Experiment at Kibo
Kibo Utilization Office for Asia (KUOA)

On February 28, 2026, the on-orbit final round of the 6th Kibo Robot Programming Challenge (Kibo-RPC), along with a related side event, was held (for more details). Following these events, a workshop was conducted in a hybrid format for all participating students, including non-finalists, enabling both online and in-person participation. In addition, a social gathering and a facility tour were organized at the JAXA Tsukuba Space Center for the four finalist teams from Indonesia, Japan, Taiwan, and Thailand who visited the site.

Workshop

Astrobee Operations Mini-Lecture

Representatives from Arkisys, a company involved in Astrobee operations, delivered the following mini-lectures:

Mr. Jonathan BARLOW: Real-time operations of Astrobee
Mr. Aric KATTERHAGAN: Operations planning and execution support
Mr. Yashivi DELIWARA: Practical mission preparation

During the Q&A session following the lectures, students raised many in-depth questions related to Astrobee operations. Topics included approaches to addressing uncertainties in the microgravity environment, the development of robust autonomous navigation algorithms capable of handling unexpected obstacles, and implementation methods to enhance overall system reliability. These discussions clearly reflected the students’ strong interest in on-orbit robotic operations.

Feedback for Finalist Teams

YAMAKAWA Wataru of SEC Co., Ltd., a sponsor of the event, provided feedback on the programs developed by the finalist teams.
During the session, teams from Taiwan and the Philippines shared their strategies and key approaches. The Taiwan team achieved strong results in both the on-orbit final and the simulator, while the Philippines team stood out for its distinctive use of the Oasis Zone.

Taiwan (iTron):
The team achieved item recognition using a YOLO model, image processing system design, data collection using Python, and improved robustness through comparisons of multiple approaches.
The Philippines (Inflection Point):
The team performed orbital simulation using MATLAB and examined optimal movement paths to achieve a scoring strategy that leveraged the Oasis Zone.

Additional questions were raised by both online participants and attendees at the venue, leading to lively and constructive discussions.

Mini-Lecture by Professor NAKASUKA Shinichi (The University of Tokyo)

Professor NAKASUKA delivered a mini-lecture on the differences between the real operational environment of the International Space Station and simulation environments, as well as on error correction using the Kalman Filter. The lecture provided many valuable insights for students as they considered directions for their future research.
During the Q&A session that followed, many questions were raised, particularly on AI-related topics.

When asked what one should start learning when studying AI independently, he recommended learning about deep learning and large language models (LLMs).
Another question focused on what should be emphasized when studying space engineering, to which he explained that, as the field is multidisciplinary, it is important to identify key technologies, study them systematically, and ideally develop expertise in multiple areas.
Other practical questions were also raised, covering topics such as Astrobee navigation, control, and AI applications.

Q&A Session with Astronaut KANAI Norishige

In this session, questions submitted in advance as well as those raised during the live online session were addressed.

One advance question asked how astronauts balance teamwork and a sense of competition. Astronaut KANAI explained that in space missions, safety is the highest priority, and teamwork is valued more than competition, adding that astronauts carry out their missions by understanding and complementing each other’s strengths and weaknesses.

During the live online Q&A, a participant asked whether the sensation of being in space is similar to riding a roller coaster. Astronaut KANAI responded that, while the launch and re-entry phases can feel somewhat similar, once in orbit the environment quickly becomes calm. Within a few hours, astronauts adapt and return to a normal, everyday sense of motion.

Table 1. Workshop Program

	Program	Speaker
1	Opening	Moderator: Kibo-RPC Secretariat/ Nadine WELLNITZ
2	Special Mini-Lecture: - Astrobee Operations - Operations Planning & Real-Time Support - Mission Preparation - Q&A	Arkisys / BARLOW Jonathan - Astrobee Flight Operations Lead (FLIGHT) KATTERHAGAN Aric - Astrobee Operations Specialist (OPS) DELIWALA Yashivi - Astrobee Mission Manager (MISSION)
3	Special Mini-Lecture: - Kibo-RPC 6th Final Round Feedback Session - Q&A	SEC Co., Ltd. / YAMAKAWA Wataru
4	Special Mini-Lecture: - Robot Guidance, Navigation, Control in Space and Real World Considerations - Q&A	The University of Tokyo / Prof. NAKASUKA Shinichi
5	Astronaut Special Q&A	JAXA/ Astronaut KANAI Norishige
6	Discussion	Participating students
7	Closing Remarks	JAXA/ Director, Space Environment Utilization Center Dr. SHIRAKAWA Masaki
8	Closing	Moderator: Kibo-RPC Secretariat / Nadine WELLNITZ

Special Mini Lecture: Astrobee Flight Operations Lead, Jonathan BARLOW, Arkisys

Special Mini Lecture: Astrobee Operations Specialist, Aric KATTERHAGAN, Arkisys

Special Mini Lecture: Astrobee Mission Manager, Yashivi DELIWALA, Arkisys

Special Mini Lecture: Program Feedback Session, YAMAKAWA Wataru, SEC Co., Ltd.

Special Mini Lecture: Professor, NAKASUKA Shinichi, The University of Tokyo

Special Q&A: Astronaut, KANAI Norishige, JAXA

Closing Remarks: Director, Space Environment Utilization Center, JAXA, Dr. SHIRAKAWA Masaki

Figure 1. Scenes from the Workshop

Social Gathering Event and Visit to the Tsukuba Space Center

After the workshop, a social gathering event was held at the JAXA Tsukuba Space Center for 13 students and six supervisors from Indonesia, Japan, Taiwan, and Thailand (Figure 2).
During the event, students had the opportunity to interact with Astronaut KANAI Norishige, Professor NAKASUKA Shinichi, SHIRAKAWA Masaki, Director of the JAXA Space Environment Utilization Center, as well as JAXA staff members. They also actively exchanged ideas with students from other countries. In addition, participants exchanged small gifts they had prepared, creating a warm atmosphere of international exchange.

The students also wrote messages and signed a commemorative board displayed at the center to mark each team’s participation in the on-orbit final competition.
Following the social gathering, participants moved to a special viewing room overlooking the Kibo Mission Control Room (MCR). While observing the actual operational environment, JAXA staff provided explanations of the experiments and missions currently being conducted in the Japanese Experiment Module “Kibo”. After the tour, the participants returned to the venue for a short additional social gathering before the event concluded (Figure 3).

Figure 2. Scenes from the Networking Event

Toward the 7th Kibo-RPC

The 7th Kibo Robot Programming Challenge (Kibo-RPC) is scheduled to open for applications around the summer of 2026.
We hope that both this year’s participants and those who learned about the Kibo-RPC for the first time will consider joining the next challenge.
We warmly welcome the participation of students and look forward to seeing you again at the JAXA Tsukuba Space Center.

Kibo

Experiment at Kibo

KUOA

Kibo Utilization Office for Asia

News