CACE / INTERNATIONAL ALLIANCE
Shared research.
Lasting connections.
Four centres in Japan, the United States, Australia and Luxembourg connect expertise through CACE. Joint instrument development, research stays, shared teaching and industry dialogue give this collaboration a practical focus.
Updated October 2026 · CACE launched in May 2026. The examples below also include earlier partnerships on which the alliance builds.
01 / RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT
Developing instruments and expertise together
Research teams combine complementary strengths in scientific instruments, experimental facilities and computer vision.
CSRI × ATCSR
LDA: Japan–Australia collaboration for lunar exploration
Joint research & development
Selected by NASA for astronaut deployment under Artemis, the Lunar Dielectric Analyzer (LDA) brings together an international instrument team. Adelaide’s John Culton has been a co-investigator since 2023, contributing to payload coordination with NASA and arrangements for Australian communications support.
Next steps: working with EXTERRES / CRATER · Proposed · under discussion
A 2025 proposal explored using an LDA mock-up during an analogue astronaut mission to assess deployment procedures. Collaboration with Adelaide’s analogue facilities remains under discussion.
CSRI × CSR · Karman+
Preparing for RANCH development and implementation
Coordination & joint planning · 2025–2026
Angel Abbud-Madrid is connecting the UTokyo–Karman+ collaboration with specialists at Colorado School of Mines. The work addresses equipment readiness and the practical requirements for moving from development towards implementation.
CSRI × ADELAIDE
Computer vision and navigation for TSUKIMI
Research collaboration · funding reported May 2026
Collaboration with TJ Chin and colleagues addresses PAC and AI-based positioning technologies. An Australian research funding award, supported by a letter from UTokyo, was reported in May 2026.
02 / RESEARCHER EXCHANGE
People connecting research communities
Research stays, doctoral supervision and postdoctoral appointments create opportunities to work across disciplines, facilities and research cultures.
LUXEMBOURG → TOKYO
Daniel Holub
JSPS research fellowship · stay began April 2026
Working with the groups of Seiji Sugita and Yuichiro Cho at UTokyo, ESRIC researcher Daniel Holub studies the fusion of LIBS and Raman spectroscopy data for mineral classification relevant to lunar and planetary exploration.
TOKYO → ADELAIDE
Tomohiro Takemura
Postdoctoral Research Fellow · in post by August 2026
After completing his doctorate in the Miyamoto Laboratory, Takemura joined Adelaide. Research exchange, including in lunar geotechnics, is extending into the next stage of an early-career researcher’s work.
GOLDEN → TOKYO
Patrick Cooney
Doctoral research visit · 2 July 2026
Introduced by Angel Abbud-Madrid, Chris Dreyer’s doctoral student visited UTokyo to discuss lunar infrastructure, ice mining and experimental facilities. Research discussions continued in October.
LUXEMBOURG ↔ GOLDEN
ESRIC × CSR
Joint doctoral supervision
Joint supervision of a University of Luxembourg doctoral student combines expertise across the two centres. This collaboration was also presented as a CACE example in 2026.
03 / EDUCATION
Building continuity through teaching
2022–2025 · SPACE RESOURCE FUNDAMENTALS
A recurring exchange of knowledge
Hideaki Miyamoto taught the Small Bodies component of Adelaide’s Space Resource Fundamentals course in each year from 2022 to 2025. Angel Abbud-Madrid and TJ Chin also contributed as instructors, connecting participants with expertise across centres.
2022–2025 · LECTURES & VISITS
Computer vision, robotics and space resources
TJ Chin gave a lecture on computer vision for space robotics at UTokyo in 2022, followed by further visits and an online presentation at SRI-II in 2025.
OCT–NOV 2026 · PLANNED
CACE education at Komaba
Space resources lectures at UTokyo’s Komaba Campus form part of CACE’s educational collaboration. John Culton from Adelaide is scheduled to lecture on 19 October 2026, followed by Angel Abbud-Madrid from Colorado School of Mines on 25 November. Both are also scheduled to attend SRI-III in person on 26–27 November, connecting international research dialogue with undergraduate education.
Training arrangements for Space Resource Fundamentals also involved early-career researchers and students in 2023. Continuing cooperation is supported by academic appointments, including Hideaki Miyamoto’s appointment as Adjunct Professor in Adelaide in 2023.
04 / INDUSTRY ENGAGEMENT
Connecting research with industry
Links between centres open conversations between companies developing new technologies and researchers with complementary expertise.
MINES → CSRI · OUTER RIM EXPLORATION
Exploring the interiors of the Moon and asteroids
Technical meeting held · 12 June 2026
Following an introduction by Angel Abbud-Madrid, three representatives of Outer Rim Exploration visited UTokyo to discuss applications of muography to internal structure and resource prospecting on the Moon and asteroids.
CSRI · KARMAN+
From instruments to resource processing
Development discussions · 2025–2026
Regular discussions have addressed SDA design, interfaces and development schedules. Discussions in October 2026 also explored concepts for an Apophis instrument, drilling and SDA development, and water extraction and processing. These concepts remain under consideration.
Karman+ and Outer Rim Exploration are industry collaborators featured here. CACE’s founding membership consists of the four research centres below.
THE ALLIANCE
Four centres, working as equal partners
Each centre retains its independence. CACE provides continuity in coordination across research and education; individual projects and participating institutions retain their own research and funding arrangements. The alliance does not itself raise or distribute funding.
2025 → 2026
From dialogue to a continuing alliance
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SRI-II, Tokyo
Directors of the four centres discuss the idea of an international alliance.
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Space Resources Week, Luxembourg
The four founding centres launch CACE.
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Space Resources Roundtable XXVI, USA
CACE’s framework and activities are presented to the wider space resources community.
SRI-III / 26–27 NOVEMBER 2026
The next conversation, in Tokyo
Space Resources Initiative III takes place on 26–27 November 2026 at the University of Tokyo’s Hongo Campus, bringing together science, technology, policy and global collaboration.
Connect with CACE
Contact the CSRI office to discuss research collaboration, researcher exchanges or connections with related initiatives.