Toru Shimada

Professor, Space Transportation Engineering, Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Japan
Aerospace Propulsion (2015-)

Dr. Toru Shimada is a professor at Institute of Space and Astronautical Science (ISAS), JAXA. He got PhD in Aeronautical Engineering from the University of Tokyo in 1985. He was a research engineer at the aerospace division of Nissan Motor Co. Ltd for 15 years. In 2000, he moved to ISAS and was responsible as the technical manager of Mu-V launcher during 2003-2006, when the launcher successfully transported satellites like Hayabusa, Suzaku, Akari, and Hinode to orbits. He provided scientific insight and findings on the mechanism of local nozzle erosion that caused the H-IIA-6 failure in 2003. He received JAXA president’s award for it. The renewed SRB-A nozzle let H-IIA return to flight and has made consecutive successful launches from 2006 to the present. Since 2008, he has been active on hybrid rocket research. He is the chairman of the propulsion technical committee of IAF and an academician at IAA.