Digital Commons Network^™

Payload Selection To Correlate Shielding Performance With Molecular Structure And Elemental Composition For Rosisat: The Radiation Orbital Shielding Investigation Satellite, Chase Patterson, Jacob L. Blanton, Kylie Nager

Beyond: Undergraduate Research Journal

Exposure to space weather in the Low Earth Orbit (LEO) environment poses significant challenges to both the integrity and longevity of orbital hardware, as well as the health of astronauts, driving the necessity for improved means of radiation shielding for future missions. With a 1U CubeSat formfactor, ROSISat is a planned LEO mission that aims to characterize the radiation shielding capabilities of seven candidate materials: ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene, boron nitride, carbon nanotubes, boron nitride nanotubes with polyethylene fibers, carbon fiber reinforced composite, and aerographene, as well as two control materials: aluminum 6061 and ep33. By comparing the shielding performance …

First Generation Of Project A.S.P.I.R.E. – A 1u Cubesat Mission For Technology Demonstration And Student Involvement In New Zealand, Shuanghui Zhao, Shunxing Shi, Kristen Lian, Rose Peens-Hough, Arami Peens-Hough, Changrui Wang, Joowon Hwang, Jerry Sun, Edward Sun

Small Satellite Conference

MOTIVATION

A feasibility study conducted at an Auckland secondary school in December 2024 found strong interest in satellite-related learning. Following an outreach presentation, 63 students (Majority aged 15 - 18) completed a questionnaire, with an average interest rating of 4.86/5. The most popular subjects were Orbital Physics, Mathematics, Mechanical Engineering, and Electrical Engineering (fig. 1).

Enabling Earth Independent Navigation, Guidance And Control With The Autongc Flight Software Framework, Michael Romeo, Sun Hur-Diaz, Behnam Azimi, Sean Semper, Robert Pritchett, James Marshall, Liam Greenlee, Joseph Patton, Steven Slegel, Carl De Vries, Benjamin Leser, Andrew Liounis

Small Satellite Conference

autoNGC is a framework for enabling onboard autonomous Navigation, Guidance and Control. Encompassing flight software, ground system software, reference hardware platforms, and simulation/analysis tools, autoNGC is designed to be an end-to-end solution to enabling onboard navigation, guidance and control with minimal ground operator supervision.

Implemented as a suite of apps for NASA’s core Flight System (cFS), autoNGC is designed with a modular architecture, allowing it to be customized to meet the needs of nearly any mission. This modular architecture enables a high-degree of reusability, allowing autoNGC to be rapidly implemented on new missions.

autoNGC is built on Goddard-developed software products, …

From Estimation To Certainty: Enhancing Smallsat Constellation Replenishment Planning With Physics-Based Solar Forecasting, Scott W. Mcintosh, Katherine Monson, Carolyn Belle, Chris Habib, Brianna Aubin

Small Satellite Conference

Poster Presented at the 2026 Small Satellite Conference

Mission Orientated Flight Software Development: Cubestep, Tirth Thakkar, Howard Lee, Viren Kumar, Maranda Laws, Shridhi Seth, Marco Maggia, Navid Nakhjiri

Small Satellite Conference

Small satellite teams often develop flight software and mission operations separately, leading to software behaviors that drift out of sync with ground procedures. To fix this, we present a co-design approach that directly links mission goals and operational procedures to the onboard flight software architecture. Demonstrated on the CubeSTEP-Cerberus mission using NASA’s F′ framework and FreeRTOS, our system maps mission intent into five constrained software states (Initialization, Safe, Idle, Experiment, and Transmit) guarded by automated health checks. This co-design strategy ensures the spacecraft acts autonomously to preserve its goals while strictly maintaining operator control over critical decisions.

Spot: A Cubesat Mission For High-Resolution Monitorig Of Anthropogenic Sulfur Emissions, Carla Roesch, Colleen Golja, James Custer, Catherine Ember, Jerome Woodwark, Andrew Matheson, Joshua Vande Hey, Sonymol Vk, Steven Heer, Zixuan Gao, Tim Trent

Small Satellite Conference

Resolving individual industrial sources of SO₂ to constrain aerosol forcing — one of the largest remaining uncertainties in Earth's energy budget.

Comparative Analysis Of Reaction Wheels And Control Moment Gyroscopes For High-Capacity Orbital Data Centers In Sun-Pointing Mission Profiles, Chih Ta Wu, Po Hsun Yen, Jen Hao Cheng, Kai Kuo Liao, Shang Jung Lee

Small Satellite Conference

• Orbital data centers (ODCs) are moving from concept to near-term engineering: Starcloud (5 GW), Meta / Overview Energy (1 GW SSP), SpaceX (up to 1M-satellite FCC filing).
• Multi-kW to GW-class compute demands solar arrays of unprecedented scale → extreme inertia and disturbance torques.
• Can Reaction Wheels (RWs) vs Control Moment Gyroscopes (CMGs) hold an ODC in a sun-nadir pointing profile?

Toward Public Access To On-Orbit Propulsion Data From Equuleus: Preparing Real Flight Data For Community Use, Hiroyuki Koizumi, Isamu Moriai, Hokuto Sekine, Keita Nishii, Mariko Akiyama, Shintaro Nakajima, Yosuke Kawabata, Yasuho Ataka, Shunichiro Nomura, Ryota Fuse, Ryu Funase

Small Satellite Conference

EQUULEUS is a 6U lunar exploration CubeSat, jointly developed and operated by the University of Tokyo and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). It was launched in November 2022 by the Space Launch System (SLS) into a lunar transfer orbit and achieved insertion into a trajectory toward the Earth–Moon Lagrange region through multiple lunar flybys using its onboard water resistojet propulsion system AQUARIUS. The EQUULEUS primary mission is the demonstration of trajectory control technology in the Sun-Earth-Moon region for the first time by a nano-spacecraft.

A Stackable Multi-Mppt Power Architecture With Paralleled Inputs For Scalable Cubesat Solar Energy Harvesting, Muhammed Syedali N., Anamika A. Kamath, Nithin Krishnan S. S., Ashfaque K. P., Sijo George, Arun P., Jr-Chiun Roger Tsai, Tensae Ali, Jesmin Jose, Athira B. S.

Small Satellite Conference

In traditional CubeSat configurations, the Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) circuit acts as a critical single point of failure because all harvested solar energy is funneled through a single, non-redundant conversion stage. Consequently, the failure of this individual component completely blocks power delivery to the system, permanently stranding otherwise healthy solar arrays and batteries and causing catastrophic mission termination.

This work introduces a modular, stackable solar energy architecture that distributes power conditioning across multiple identical, autonomous modules connected to shared PV and battery buses. By relying purely on analog input-voltage regulation at a common operating point, it eliminates radiation-vulnerable digital …

Revisit Performance Analysis Of Narsha Microsatellite Constellation For Point-Source Ghg Monitoring, Jinyoung Shin, Geuk-Nam Kim, Taemin Kim, Jaemin Hong, Joohee Lee, Marcin Badowski, Seongwhan Lee

Small Satellite Conference

Although microsatellite missions under 100 kg have demonstrated advanced capabilities in detecting localized CO2 and CH4 emissions, the effectiveness of these systems hinges on their spatial and temporal coverage and observation validity under diverse environmental conditions.

Factors such as solar zenith angle (SZA), viewing zenith angle (VZA), surface albedo, weather, and source persistence influence their performance.

Against this background, this study evaluates the spatial and temporal coverage performance of microsatellite-based GHG observation systems through numerical simulations incorporating environmental and instrumental conditions.

Autongc Flight Opnav Experiment Results On Capstone, Andrew J. Liounis, Sun Hur-Diaz, Behnam Azimi, Nichalas L. Cason, Chris R. Gnam, Grant Hecht, Steven Z. Queen, Michael J. Romeo, Sean R. Semper, Nathan Stacey, Andrew Tennenbaum, Daniel G. Berdugo, Carl J. De Vries, Benjamin Leser, Anne Long, Liam A. Greenlee, Joseph W. Patton, Steven B. Slegel, Isaac R. Witte

Small Satellite Conference

Summary: We successfully demonstrated on-board automated optical navigation (OpNav) in a lunar near rectilinear halo orbit (NRHO) using images of the Moon, the Earth, and other solar system bodies, advancing the technology readiness level (TRL) of the autonomous guidance navigation and control (autoNGC) OpNav capabilities from 5 to 7.

Development Of Spacecraft Digital Twins For Flight Software Maintenance, Robert Klar

Small Satellite Conference

This research project developed a digital twin—a virtual representation of a physical spacecraft, including its components, interfaces, and communications. By leveraging the digital twin’s ability to be replicated, modified, and distributed efficiently, the project enhances capabilities in design, analysis, and optimization. It significantly reduces risk, cost, and development schedules for flight software by minimizing dependencies on hardware resources. The project was executed as a collaborative effort between the Intelligent Systems Division (10) and Space Systems Division (05).

Robust Learning-Based Guidance For Close Proximity Operation Scenarios, Luis Sanchez, Charlotte Crawshaw, Reuben Lynch, Natalia Bajnokova, Murray Ireland, Hazel Quibell, Callum Wilson, Lucy Donnell, Maura Allan, Kevin Worral, Matteo Ceriotti

Small Satellite Conference

ROC-ML is a European Space Agency (ESA) funded project led by Craft Prospect in collaboration with University of Glasgow. The project leverages Machine Learning (ML) approaches to augment the performance of robust motion planning in space applications. The developed method of spacecraft motion planning must be suitably computationally efficient to be deployed on low SWAP space hardware.

Swap: An Ai-Enabled Cubesat For Low-Latency Space Weather Alerting, Miles H. Currie, Douglas Franz, Paul Kocyla, Omar Sharaf, Sarvesh Garimella

Small Satellite Conference

1 — Background

• Growing dependence on space-based assets (telecom, transport, grid, GPS) = growing space-weather exposure
• A Carrington-class storm today would mean cascading failures and losses in the trillions
• Current assets (e.g. GOES, ACE, DSCOVR) are excellent but large, costly, and with minutes to hours of alert latency from ground processing; weak coverage off the Earth–Sun line, where multi-point views could untangle the solar flare/SEP/ CME chain
• The Space Weather Alerting Platform (SWAP) concept mission (right) is a low-cost, 3U cubesat solution for proliferated solar monitoring with low-latency onboard AI alerting

A Feasibility-Aware Attitude Trajectory Planner For Small Satellites, Patrick Mckeen, Niclas Scheuer, Kerri Cahoy

Small Satellite Conference

Spacecraft attitude control traditionally requires extensive per-mission engineering—hand-tuned gains, mission-specific mode logic, and conservative operating envelopes—that breaks down when on-orbit conditions deviate from ground assumptions. This is especially costly for small satellites, where limited ground support makes autonomous adaptability essential. We present a feasibility-aware attitude trajectory planner that replaces this hand-engineered stack with continuous planning from a digital twin: less a new feedback law than a different division of labor, in which the mode logic, gain tuning, and desaturation a conventional ADCS builds as separate pieces are instead absorbed into a single optimization.

Built on the ALTRO trajectory optimization algorithm, …

High-Torque Reaction Wheels For Agile Small Satellites, Thomas Brunsgaard, Matt Carton, Kearney Lackas

Small Satellite Conference

Blue Canyon Technologies has developed a high-torque reaction wheel (RW) product line to meet the growing attitude control demands of next-generation small spacecraft. As small satellites expand into missions requiring rapid retargeting and precise pointing, spacecraft agility is foundational to mission performance. More targets equal more data collection, translating to greater mission insight and revenue generation. 

This paper describes Blue Canyon’s approach to product line architecture that enabled rapid development and deployment of high-torque reaction wheels across multiple size classes. The high-torque variants deliver 0.5 Nm of torque, representing a 2X increase over standard configurations with 60% of the baseline …

Development Of Piezo Fast Steering Mirrors For Fso Inter-Satellite Communication, Frank Claeyssen, Arnaud Gilson, Thomas Maillard, David Ferris, Xavier De Lepine, Oliver Sosnicki, Jocelyn Rebufa, Clément Cote, Francis Bortolaso, Pascal Mexe

Small Satellite Conference

To allow faster communication between satellites, Radio Frequency (RF) links are being replaced by laser optical links, often called Free-Space Optical Communication (FSO). Each satellite embeds several optical communication terminals (OCT), each one needing two Fast Steering Mirrors (FSM) for laser beam fine and fast steering. Thus, for some giant constellations, the total number of FSM can reach up to 100 000 FSM. This New Space market induces not only technical challenges, such as good SWaP, but also industrial challenges, in particular reproducibility, cost-effectiveness and low cost of ownership vs Orbit segment. To address these various FSM needs, CEDRAT TECHNOLOGIES …

Modeling Of Supersonic Wave And Shock Propagation Using The Lattice Boltzmann Method, Timothy P. Schroeder

Beyond: Undergraduate Research Journal

The lattice Boltzmann method (LBM) has emerged as a mesoscopic alternative to traditional Navier-Stokes solvers for modeling fluid dynamics offering advantages in computational efficiency, parallelization, and handling of complex boundaries. Despite these strengths, accurately reproducing compressible, shock-driven phenomena remains challenging. This study investigates the performance of LBM in simulating the Sod shock tube problem, a classical benchmark for compressible flow-using both single and double distribution function formulations across one- and two-dimensional lattice stencils. A MATLAB-based solver was developed to model the flow under isothermal conditions and compared to the analytical solution using the L2 norm error. The one-dimensional models achieved …

Table Of Contents, The Editors

Coal Geology & Exploration

No abstract provided.

Resilience-Oriented Geological Safeguards For Damage Mitigation In Coal Resource Exploitation, Wang Shuangming, Sun Qiang, Yan Meixin, Miao Lintian, Liu Lang, Qiao Junwei, Niu Chao, Geng Jishi, Fang Chenxi, Zhang He, Xiao Lele, Li Shibo

Coal Geology & Exploration

Background Coal remains a fundamental component of China’s energy security system. With the westward shift of coal development and continuous expansion into deeper strata, coal mining is confronted with increasingly complex geological conditions and growing ecological constraints. Geological damage induced by mining disturbance has evolved from isolated geological issues into a coupled Earth-system problem involving the lithosphere, hydrosphere, pedosphere, atmosphere, and biosphere, characterized by uncertainty, hysteresis, concealment, and cross-scale accumulation. Resilience-based damage mitigation emphasizes reducing the probability, intensity, and recovery costs of geological damage through proactive identification, dynamic regulation, damage suppression, and post-disturbance restoration under mining disturbance and external environmental …

Mechanisms And Implications Of The Novel Cast Model Of Coal Graphitization, Wang Shaoqing, Zhang Jingzhe, Zhang Xiaomei, Wang Xiaoshuai, Chen Hao, Wang Xiaoling, Li Wu, Tang Yuegang

Coal Geology & Exploration

Objective and Methods Coal graphitization is a multi-stage process with abrupt changes rather than linear evolution. So far, its inherent driving mechanisms have not yet been fully elucidated. Notably, twisted graphene was observed in the process of coal graphitization in 2025, providing a new opportunity to reveal the essence of this structural transformation. Results and Conclusions By combining previous research results, this study proposes a novel coal graphitization model that consists of condensation, alignment, stacking, and twisting (CAST). The four parts of the CAST model are organically integrated, collectively forming a continuous and dynamic evolutionary process. Most especially, no absolute …

Spatial Topological Configurations Of Cleats And Geometrical Quantitative Characterization Of Matrix Blocks In Deep Coal Seams, Shen Jian, Li Wei, Tian Yongjing, Ma Tianyu, Zhang Hewei, Dong Jiying, Zhu Peipei

Coal Geology & Exploration

Objective Cleats in deep coal seams are characterized by strong heterogeneity, and their topological configurations, as well as their topological relationships with matrix blocks, remain poorly understood. On the other hand, the assumptions regarding the size and geometry of matrix blocks adopted in representative reservoir structure models and numerical simulations do not fully reflect actual reservoir conditions. Methods Deep coal cores collected from the northeastern Ordos Basin were investigated in this study. Using CT scanning and topological theory, a multi-dimensional topological parameter system was established to characterize cleats in deep coal seams. Furthermore, four topological configurations of cleats in deep …

Stable Isotope-Based Origin Identification And Enrichment Zone Division Of Medium- To Low-Rank Coalbed Methane, Wang Qiong, Xu Fengyin, Ren Pengfei, Xu Hao, Lu Pengda, Hu Han, Zhou Siyuan

Coal Geology & Exploration

Objective Medium-to low-rank coalbed methane (CBM) exhibits complex origins with significant vertical differentiation, leading to unclear origin identification and enrichment patterns. This study aims to determine the genetic mechanisms, enrichment patterns, and efficient exploitation pathways of medium- to low-rank CBM. This will help improve the theoretical system for the exploration and exploitation of such CBM. Methods CBM data from 14 typical low- to medium-rank coalfields and coal-bearing basins across the world were comprehensively analyzed, including CBM compositions C₁/(C₂+C₃), carbon and hydrogen isotopes of CH₄ (δ¹³C-CH₄ and δD-CH_{4 …}

Dynamic-To-Static Elastic Parameter Conversion Models For Coals Under Temperature-Pressure Coupling: A Case Study Of The No. 8 Coal Seam In The Daning-Jixian Block, Zhang Wei, Wu Peng, Liu Conghui, Zhang Sidun, Sun Xuedong, Yang Haixing, Ma Zhuang, Shi Rui, Shen Jian

Coal Geology & Exploration

Objective Existing dynamic-to-static elastic parameter conversion models for coals fail to fully account for the actual in situ pressure and temperature conditions of deep reservoirs. This leads to significant deviations in directly evaluating the mechanical properties of reservoirs using log-derived dynamic parameters. To address this challenge, this study investigated dynamic-to-static elastic parameter conversion under the in situ stress and geotemperature conditions of strata. Accordingly, high-precision parameter conversion models were established. Methods This study examined coal samples from the No. 8 coal seam at a burial depth of approximately 1200 m in the Daning-Jixian block along the eastern margin of the …

A Geochemical Evaluation Method For Geological Sweet Spots Of Marine-Continental Transitional Shale Gas: A Case Study Of The Shan$^3_2 $ Sub-Member, Eastern Margin Of The Ordos Basin, Zhu Xingcheng, Li Yong, Lu Jungang, He Qingbo, Li Shuxin, Xiao Zhenglu, Li Xiang, Jiang Qijun

Coal Geology & Exploration

Background China boasts abundant marine-continental transitional shale gas resources. However, marine-continental transitional shales in the country exhibit complex geological conditions characterized by rapid lateral facies transition, vertical superimposition of multiple lithologies, and small single-layer thickness. These characteristics pose a challenge to shale gas sweet spot prediction. Therefore, establishing a sweet spot grading and evaluation system tailored to these shales is of great significance for guiding decision-making in hydrocarbon exploration and supporting large-scale production. Methods Based on core observations, this study systematically evaluated the geochemical characteristics of marine-continental transitional shales in the 3rd submember of the 2nd member of the Permian …

An Integrated Automated Parameter Optimization Method Based On Fdem And Isight For Rock Mass Engineering: A Case Study Of Pillar Stability Design, Zhu Defu, Gao Bolong, Xu Jiabo, Wang Deyu, Gao Peng, Li Yalin, Hu Wenshuo

Coal Geology & Exploration

Background Conventional rock mass engineering design largely relies on empirical equations or numerical simulation schemes selected from a limited number of comparable cases, making it difficult to effectively balance multiple constraints such as safety, economic viability, and resource recovery. The finite-discrete element method (FDEM) based on the intrinsic cohesive zone model (ICZM) can effectively simulate the evolution of quasi-brittle materials from continuous to discontinuous behavior, rendering it particularly suitable for engineering issues involving highly discontinuous rock masses. Therefore, FDEM has become an important numerical analysis method in rock mass engineering. However, there remains an urgent need for a high-precision, integrated, …

Selection And Verification Of Optimal Key Parameters Of Ultra-Wideband Radars For Life Detection In Coal-Rock Shielding Environments In Coal Mines, Huang Yuan, Zheng Xuezhao, Wen Hu, Jin Feiyang, Xu Chengyu, Liu Yin, Ding Wen

Coal Geology & Exploration

Objective and Methods Ultra-wideband (UWB) radars can transmit electromagnetic waves that penetrate coal and rock media, thereby addressing the challenge of detecting and localizing personnel trapped in shielding environments during mine collapse. However, key parameters for UWB radar detection are difficult to determine due to complex mine environments, diverse media, and unclear dispersion characteristics. To deal with this issue, this study determined the frequency-dependent dielectric properties of various coal and rock media, as well as human tissues, through experiments and fitting. In combination with actual rescue scenarios, this study established the electromagnetic equivalent model of shielding environments in coal mines. …

Factors Influencing The Build-Up Rate Of Small-Diameter Rotary Steerable Systems In Underground Coal Mines, Yang Dongdong, Li Quanxin, Zhang Youzhen, Chen Long, Chu Zhiwei, Jiang Bici, Wang Bo, Yan Wenchao

Coal Geology & Exploration

Objective Intelligent drilling represents an important part of intelligent coal mine construction. However, measurement-while-drilling (MWD) directional drilling, the core of underground intelligent drilling operations, currently suffers from several limitations, including the high dogleg severity of wellbore trajectories, low drilling efficiency, and poor hard-rock penetration. Rotary steerable system (RSS) technology has emerged as a key approach to addressing these limitations owing to its high-precision control on drilling trajectories. Methods This study systematically analyzed the factors influencing the build-up rate of small-diameter, push-the-bit RSSs using a modified 3-point circle method and the longitudinal beam bending method. Through theoretical modeling, the coupled impacts …

Machine Learning-Based Diagnosis Of Fracture-Induced Lost Circulation And Intelligent Selection Of Lost Circulation Control Fluids, Sun Huan, Zhu Mingming, Wang Jinshu, Yao Lu, Zhou Fangfang, Tan Xuebin, Sun Yan, Qu Yanping, Chen Ning

Coal Geology & Exploration

Objective and Method Drilling operations in the Changqing area face several challenges in lost circulation, including complex types, significantly different characteristics, and difficulty in designing plugging formulations. To address these issues, this study proposes a DSX-Hybrid coupled intelligent decision-making framework, which serves as an integrated scheme to identify lost circulation channels, perform intelligent selection of plugging formulations, and offer recommendations on construction process. In this framework, given the scarcity of labeled log data, the density-based spatial clustering of applications with noise (DBSCAN) is employed to mine latent geological characteristics of unlabeled data. Then, the self-attention convolutional neural network (SACNN) is …

Optimizing Ball‐Milled Composites For Fast Energy Release Under Shock Compression, Siva Valluri, Edward Dreizin, Dana Dlott

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Microparticle additives containing both Al fuel and oxidizer, fabricated by arrested reactive milling (ARM), could potentially increase the power of energetic materials such as HMX because they contain premixed fuel and oxidizer. Optimizing shock reactivity requires exploring a vast parametric space encompassing composition, milling parameters that govern microstructural features such as intraparticle voids and fuel-oxidizer mixing, and the resulting inhomogeneous shock reactivity of individual particles. To present our approach, we used a model composition 8Al⋅3CuO, previously optimized for combustion. We milled powders and prescreened different prepared batches using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) to rule out batches with significant pre-reaction. Then …