Yusuke Muraki

Yusuke Muraki is an infrastructure specialist in charge of space technology of Asian Development Bank (ADB). After working in the International Space Station (ISS) program In Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) for seven years, he is now seconded to ADB, which is a regional development bank to support developing countries in Asia and the Pacific to achieve poverty reduction and economic growth. He has been playing a leading role in introducing satellite applications to the new field, which is sustainable development of developing countries, as the first and only staff in charge of space technology. Yusuke earned his Master of Engineering in mechanical engineering from Hokkaido University, Japan in 2005. He contributed to the successful space shuttle missions to attach Japanese Kibo module to ISS and initial operation as a flight controller and engaged in development of Kibo’s spare equipment. In ADB, he has conceptualized and implemented many projects applying satellite technology in developing countries in collaboration with space agencies and user organizations from non-space sectors. He supported the projects such as technical assistance for Bangladesh, Viet Nam, Philippines to apply satellite rain fall data to improve flood management, technical assistance to introduce satellite-based drought monitoring system in Greater Mekong Subregion for regional food security, and now preparing new project to apply space technology and mobile phone technology to collect information for disaster risk management and response in Armenia, Bangladesh, Fiji and Philippines.