Digital Commons Network^™

Survival Analysis For Nanosatellites And Picosatellites, Dustin Hayhurst, Robert Bettinger, Christine Schubert Kabban

Small Satellite Conference

The nascent field of fractionated satellite architectures provides an opportunity to improve spacecraft modularity and afford greater flexibility, adaptability, and upgradeability to spacecraft constellations. Satellite modules within a coherent formation can be replaced without facing the challenges of manufacturing, assembly, or disassembly in the harsh space environment (e.g., satellite modules conducting electromagnetic formation flight (EMFF) are not physically connected such that one module may be replaced with potentially less risk of damaging or degrading the performance of the other modules). Conventionally, the depot for constellation replenishment is located on Earth, however, minor augmentations to spacecraft formations cannot be conducted economically …

Banking Scandals And Abnormal Cumulative Returns: An Analysis Of The Wells Fargo Fraud Scandal, Heather Christensen

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

In September 2016, Wells Fargo Company was fined a large amount of money due to its employees opening unauthorized accounts and credit cards under customer’s names. This paper examines the effects of the lawsuit announcement on the stock market as it pertains to finance, insurance, and real estate firms. The analysis will be completed using the cumulative abnormal returns (CARs) and various control variables through univariate and multivariate tests. The results of these tests show that the markets did not lose confidence or trust in banks. Instead, the Wells Fargo scandal generated positive CARs for other banks on the day …

A Deeper Look Into The Ionospheric Scintillation Explorer (Isx): A Failure Analysis, John M. Bellardo, Grigory Heaton, Cassandra Kraver, Dave Pignatelli, Ryan Nugent, Alicia Johnstone, Pauline Faure

Small Satellite Conference

The Ionospheric Scintillation eXplorer (ISX) mission is a collaboration between SRI International and Cal Poly. The ISX space weather investigation seeks to better understand the physics of naturally occurring Equatorial Spread F ionospheric irregularities by deploying a passive UHF radio scintillation receiver. Rocket Lab’s Electron-4 launch vehicle successfully placed ISX into a nearly sun synchronous orbit 500km above the surface of the Earth, however contact was never made with the spacecraft. Since this anomaly, Cal Poly has taken an extensive look into the possible failure causes on ISX, including a system level fault tree and additional testing with the engineering …

Cubesattof: Planetary Atmospheres Analyzed With A 1u High-Performance Time-Of-Flight Mass Spectrometer, Rico Fausch, Peter Wurz, Marek Tulej, Urs Rohner

Small Satellite Conference

This paper presents design and performance of a miniature time-of-flight mass spectrometer of 1U size for a CubeSat platform for quantitative chemical composition analysis of thin atmospheres. The atmospheres of solar system bodies harbor key information to answer questions about its origin and evolution, night-side transport, satellite drag including seasonal variation of it, chemical sputtering of satellites, and even the feasibility of earthquake forecast system has been suggested. Highly sensitive chemical analyses with our mass spectrometer will allow to obtain insight into atmospheric processes. We designed a compact multipurpose instrument. Its applicationis discussed for two mission concepts, namely orbiting Earth …

Towards The Use Of Commercial-Off-The-Shelf Small-Satellite Components For Deep-Space Cubesats: A Feasibility And Performance Analysis, Stefano Casini, Iosto Fodde, Steven Engelen, Bert Monna, Angelo Cervone, Eberhard Gill

Small Satellite Conference

The aim of this paper is to assess the feasibility of using currently available commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) small-satellites components in deep-space scenarios, studying their applicability and performance. To evaluate the performances, an asteroid fly-by mission is briefly introduced, but several of the selection criteria and ideas can be extended to other deep space mission concepts. This particular mission scenario requires to follow three main trends: miniaturization, standardization and automation. For this reason the mission represents a good test bench scenario to analyze the products of the current small-satellites industry. Once the reference mission has been defined, the preliminary ΔV is computed …

Light-1: A 3u Cubesat For Detecting And Monitoring Terrestrial Gamma Ray Flashes - System Design And Concept Of Operations, Aaesha Almazrouei, Aaliya Khan, Abdulla Almesmari, Ahmed Albuainain, Ahmed Bushlaibi, Alicia Almahmood, Ali Algaraan, Alya Alhammadi, Amina Al-Balooshi, Ashraf Khater, Aysha Alharam, Ebrahim Almansoori, Nouf Alzaabi, Reem Al Ali, Ruqayya Alhammadi, Shaima Zeyad, Taha Ansari, Yaqoob Alqassab, Adriano Carcavilla, Firas Jarrar, Francesco Arneodo, Prashanth Marpu, Hamzeh Issa, Panagiotis Dimitropoulos, Vu Thu, Heyam Anwar Alblooshi

Small Satellite Conference

Thunderstorms produce numerous spontaneous flashes of gamma rays which occur very briefly, with time periods of less than a fraction of a second. These extremely high energy particles have a magnitude similar to radiation worth 400 chest X-rays. These particles are discharged during thunderstorms within very close proximity of airplanes, hence, engaging passengers with a potential threat of extreme radiation exposure. The confirmed association of terrestrial gamma ray flashes (TGRF) with thunderstorm activity makes TGRFs are a beneficial area of study with potential for a CubeSat mission. Light-1 is a CubeSat mission proposed to study terrestrial gamma ray flashes by …

An Automated Constellation Design & Mission Analysis Tool For Finding The Cheapest Mission Architecture, Martin Fugmann, Sabine Klinkner

Small Satellite Conference

Identifying the optimal mission architecture for a space mission is critical for mission success, especially for large constellations. Here, optimizing the entire mission architecture for cost is necessary for the business case to work. This paper presents an automated system that combines constellation design and mission analysis functions in the context of a distributed engineering environment. It utilizes analytical methods, commercial simulation software and other specialized tools to identify multiple eligible constellations for the user-defined case, perform the associated mission analysis tasks, and provide input for additional tools like cost estimation software to eventually identify the optimal constellation. This allows …

Analysis And Design Of A Sub-Optimal Mekf For Low Earth Orbit Attitude Estimation Using A Radically Inexpensive Mems Imu, Peter J. Jorgensen, Omar F. Awad, Robert H. Bishop

Small Satellite Conference

A previous study investigated the feasibility in using a radically inexpensive MEMS IMU with a GPS and a model of Earth’s magnetic field for attitude determination. A Multiplicative Extended Kalman Filter was designed to estimate the biases and errors associated with the IMU and reduce attitude uncertainty. States with large influence on overall uncertainty were identified through error budget and sensitivity analysis. It was determined that the complexity of the Kalman filter could be significantly reduced by removing 18 of the 42-element state vector. In this study, the sub- optimal filter is designed and its feasibility for attitude determination is …

Closed Loop Analysis Of Space Systems (Class): A Modular Test System For Cubesat Development, Marc Akiki, Michael Lembeck

Small Satellite Conference

Closed Loop Analysis of Space Systems (CLASS) is a small satellite test system engineered and maintained by the Laboratory for Advanced Space Systems at Illinois (LASSI), which is affiliated with the Department of Aerospace Engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. CLASS is designed to be modular and user-friendly while providing the capability to perform accurate and reliable closed-loop tests. Commercial and academic CubeSat developers struggle to implement adequate testing procedures because of the relatively short development timeline and the sophisticated and inaccessible nature of space systems test equipment. Hardware-in-the-loop testing offers a convenient “test-as-you-fly, fly-as-you-test” validation and verification …

Debitage Attributes, Obsidian Source Analysis, And Prehistoric Mobility In Southeastern Idaho, Ben Joaquin Zumkeller

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this study is to complement existing knowledge on prehistoric mobility in eastern and southern Idaho. I add specific detail regarding the use of Skull Canyon and its well-known Birch Creek rockshelters during hunter-gatherers’ logistical foraging rounds.

In addition, my research is a case study in combining debitage attribute analysis and intensive toolstone sourcing to read prehistoric mobility. Prior research has looked to obsidian toolstone sourcing to understand prehistoric eastern and southern Idaho mobility. However, no prior research has involved sourcing an entire, stratified assemblage of prehistoric debitage.

I collected flake attribute data from all 2,846 pieces of …

Secondary Electron Yield Analysis Of Contamination Found On Long Duration Exposure Facility Panels, Trace Taylor

Student Research Symposium

The Long Duration Exposure Facility (LDEF) was a NASA mission designed to view the long-term effects of space exposure which flew in the Low Earth Orbit (LEO) environment from 1984 to 1990. The mission was originally planned to last 9 months but, after a series of delays resulting from the Challenger explosion, remained in space for 69 months before it was recovered. LDEF results are very noteworthy as the number of long exposure materials available for study is limited by the expense required to launch and retrieve them. USU received a plate that flew on the LDEF mission and has …

Semi-Structured Interviews: A Team-Based Approach To Design, Implementation, And Analysis, Rachel Wishkoski

Library Faculty & Staff Publications

This chapter explores semi-structured interviewing as a research method in the context of a study investigating the impact of a library workshop on faculty teaching practices. In addition to covering interview guide design, strategies for conducting interviews, and qualitative coding, the chapter shares lessons learned by a novice practitioner-researcher and suggestions for team-based qualitative research.

Optomechanical Design And Analysis For Nanosatellite Laser Communications, Laura Yenchesky, Ondrej Cierny, Peter Grenfell, William Kammerer, Paula Do Vale Periera, Tao Sevigny, Kerri Cahoy

Small Satellite Conference

The CubeSat Laser Infrared CrosslinK (CLICK) mission is a technology demonstration of a 1.5U laser communications terminal for an intersatellite link. The terminal is deployed on a pair of 3U CubeSats in Low Earth Orbit (LEO). The pointing, acquisition, and tracking (PAT) approach includes both coarse and fine systems. The coarse tracking system uses a beacon laser transmitter and receiver camera. The fine tracking system uses a fast steering mirror and quadrant photodiode. The communications transmit and receive paths include a refractive telescope, transmit laser collimator, and avalanche photodetector (APD) receiver. The communications laser full-width, half maximum (FWHM) beam divergence …

Mission Dodona: Electronic Power System Design, Analysis And Integration, Sriram Narayanan, Rahul Rughani, Rebecca Rogers, Kyle Clarke, Jeremy Allam

Small Satellite Conference

“Dodona” is USC’s third CubeSat mission, and the electronic power system for this mission conforms to a centralized architecture common to the early-CubeSat class. The electronic power system is designed to power all satellite system components and any additional customer payload. A power budget is presented describing various operating configurations of the CubeSat and how its requirements are met in the design. The power system used a legacy Clyde Space 3U CubeSat Power System consisting of a combination of batteries and an Electronic Power System (EPS) to control charging, discharging, and voltage conversions for the system. The central architecture uses …

How Virtual Reality Impacts The Landscape Architecture Design Process At Various Scales, Drew M. Hill

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

In the field of landscape architecture, the use of virtual reality (VR) is increasing as a tool for visualization and presentation in the late stages of the design process. Many of the benefits that make VR valuable in the later stages of the design process suggest that VR may also be valuable when used in earlier stages such as analysis and concept development. However, existing research does not provide a detailed study of design within VR during those early stages. Recent advancements in technology allow the potential to bring significant changes in the way that design-related professionals collaborate and design. …

Transition State Analysis Of The Reaction Catalyzed By The Phosphotriesterase From Sphingiobium Sp. Tcm1, Andrew N. Bigley, Dao Feng Xiang, Tamari Narindoshvili, Charlie W. Burgert, Alvan C. Hengge, Frank M. Raushel

Chemistry and Biochemistry Faculty Publications

Organophosphorus flame retardants are stable toxic compounds used in nearly all durable plastic products and are considered major emerging pollutants. The phosphotriesterase from Sphingobium sp. TCM1 (Sb-PTE) is one of the few enzymes known to be able to hydrolyze organophosphorus flame retardants such as triphenyl phosphate and tris(2-chloroethyl) phosphate. The effectiveness of Sb-PTE for the hydrolysis of these organophosphates appears to arise from its ability to hydrolyze unactivated alkyl and phenolic esters from the central phosphorus core. How Sb-PTE is able to catalyze the hydrolysis of the unactivated substituents is not known. To interrogate the catalytic …

Chemical Analysis Of Aerosol Particle Surfaces, Hillary Woolf

Fall Student Research Symposium 2018

Aerosol particles are thought to impact climate properties. The ability to probe aerosols to understand their chemical properties has been difficult due to a lack of appropriate analytical techniques. Here we present interface-specific SHS techniques to allow for in situ analysis of aerosol particles. Transportation of aerosols from their collection site to the laboratory disturbs their chemical and physical properties thus making it difficult to take accurate measurements of aerosol particles. We show that using a CCD detector is a more effective option for producing more sensitive results and can greatly reduce sampling time and could possibly detect measurements from …

Assessment And Visualization Tools For Technical Services, Andrea Payant, Becky Skeen, Liz Woolcott

Library Faculty & Staff Presentations

No abstract provided.

Quilting In Children's Literature: An Analysis Of Stereotypes, Megan Egbert

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

For many people, exposure to folk art happens at a young age; however, we may not realize what it is, see its value, or be aware of the terminology used by scholars. The lack of understanding the importance of folk art is especially true for children’s books. This project focuses on the analysis of children’s books about quilts or quilting, primarily because quilts are often found in books and relatable to a wide audience. While the choice in genre and topic may limit the scope of folk art analysis, there are still hundreds of books solely based on quilts or …

Soil Analysis Information Sheet, Utah State University

All Current Publications

No abstract provided.

Where The Action Is: An Analysis Of Partisan Change In House Of Representatives Open Seat Elections, 2000-2014, Kyle B. Wallace

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this research is to better understand what causes partisan change in House of Representatives open seat elections from 2000-2014. Despite being the source of the majority of freshman entering the House and traditionally having a higher rate of partisan change, open seats receive less attention in the political science literature than seats involving incumbents. The most comprehensive look at open seats came from Ronald Keith Gaddie and Charles S Bullock III in their 2000 book Elections to Open Seats in the U.S. House. Since 2000, very little research has been done to update the ever-changing environment …

An Analysis Of Sensitivity In Economic Forecasting For Pavement Management Systems, Antonio Fuentes

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

In the scope of transportation asset management, the maintenance and rehabilitation (M&R) performed on asphalt roads at the local government level requires careful planning and intelligent use of limited funding. For this reason, a Pavement Management System (PMS) is incorporated and used as a tool for local government leaders to make the best decision given their annual budget. The PMS process is a repeatable process which consists of determining present day pavement condition, evaluating future deterioration, performing an economic analysis of possible M&R treatments and finally implementing a proper M&R plan to keep the asphalt pavement network in good condition. …

Systems Modeling And Economic Analysis Of Photovoltaic (Pv) Powered Water Pumping Brackish Water Desalination For Agriculture, Michael A. Jones

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The objective of this study was to determine the economic viability of solar powered water pumping and desalination systems for agriculture. Growing global demand for agricultural production has put increased pressure on limited freshwater resources in various locations around the word. Many areas have low quality groundwater resources that have not been utilized for agriculture due to limited availability to electricity, high operational costs of diesel generators and the economics associated with water pumping and processing. Reverse osmosis is a desalination technology that removes salts and other minerals from low-quality water, making it fit for drinking or irrigation. Reduced costs …

Analysis Of Portfolio Diversification And Risk Management Of Livestock Assets In The Borana Pastoral System Of Southern Ethiopia, Medhat Ibrahim

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Ethiopia is one of the poorest and most populated countries in the world. It is also one of the largest receivers of foreign aid in the world. The Borana Plateau in the Oromia region is one of the poorest regions in southern Ethiopia. The local population in this region has relied on livestock for their livelihood for many generations. The growing number of humans and livestock on the Borana Plateau has caused the rangeland to be degraded. Coupled with more frequent and severe droughts, this growth can cause the loss of a large number of the livestock in this region …

Recreation Impact Monitoring Analysis And Protocol Development, Glacier Bay National Park, K. C. Goonan, Christopher Monz, B. Bruno, T. Lewis

Christopher Monz

No abstract provided.

Analysis Of Full-Scale Mechanically Stabilized Earth (Mse) Wall Using Crimped Steel Wire Reinforcement, Joshua Aaron Jensen

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The Civil and Environmental Engineering department at Utah State University partnered with Hilfiker Retaining Walls to study the behavior and feasibility of crimped steel wire mat reinforcements. Researchers from Utah State University organized the study and created design for a full-scale model. Construction efforts were completed in cooperation of laborers from Utah State University, Hilfiker Retaining Walls, and Circle C Construction. The purpose of the study was to analyze the behavior and feasibility of a full-scale MSE wall using crimped steel wire mat reinforcements.

The estimated cost of the project was $53,600. The cost included the material cost of the …

Doctoral Dissertation Research In Marriage And Family Therapy (Mft): A Content Analysis, Clinton L. Broadbent

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Over the past 60 years, the field of marriage and family therapy (MFT) has experienced tremendous growth due largely to many charismatic pioneers in the field. These pioneers performed various research studies but lacked a focus on quality empirical research. Over the past 20 years, many MFT researchers have started to perform these studies, which in turn, have pointed the field in a positive direction in terms of research excellence. Doctoral dissertations offer unique and valuable insights into the current state of research as a field as well as give us a better idea of how we are doing at …

Water Resource Systems Analysis And Management - Amirkabir University Of Technology, Jamshid Mousavi

All ECSTATIC Materials

Course taught at Amirkabir University of Technology.

An Analysis On Soil Properties On Predicting Critical Hydraulic Gradients For Piping Progression In Sandy Soils, Tammy Jacobson

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Piping is a form of internal erosion in which soil particles are eroded at a seepage exit location due to the forces imposed on the particles by seeping water. Laboratory testing was performed on a variety of soils in order to assess a correlation between unit weight, angle of internal friction, grain size, gradation, and void ratio and the critical hydraulic gradient at which piping initiates and progresses. A multi-variable regression analysis was used to form equations to predict critical hydraulic gradient based upon each of these soil parameters. Variations in the accuracy of these equations are thought to be …

Alluvial Geochronology And Watershed Analysis Of The Golo River, Northeastern Corsica, France, Emilee M. Skyles

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The Golo River in Corsica, France, is a short, steep river (~95 km, 2706 m relief) in the Western Mediterranean with formerly glaciated headwaters. The small size and location of the Golo River make this system ideal for observing the influence of climate and sea-level change on river dynamics over the 100,000 years. A rapidly advancing dating technique, optically stimulated luminescence, was utilized to determine the timing of these river deposits on the coastal plain in order to frame them in the context of previous glacial and interglacial episodes. Climate fluctuations in the headwaters supplied the vast majority of sediment …