Digital Commons Network^™

Meco: MIssion Concept DEVelopment Of A CUbesat For Surface OBservations, Paula Do Vale Pereira, Jacob Mesley, Melanie Rivera

Small Satellite Conference

No abstract provided.

See And Minicor: Transforming Solar Science Through Modular Small Satellite Technology, Gabriel Gutierrez, Lorenzo Pattanaro, Giorgia Casadei, Antonio Turi, Ludovica Bozzoli, Alessandro Balossino, Angelos Vourlidas, Aaron Magner, Luca Giovanelli, Francesco Berrilli, Daniele Urban, Silvia Natalucci

Small Satellite Conference

In recent years, the field of space exploration has witnessed a paradigm shift with the emergence of small satellites, particularly CubeSats, as cost-effective, time-efficient and versatile platforms for scientific missions. At the same time, heliophysical studies are becoming increasingly important for space weather purposes, as they shed light on the Sun's interaction with the Earth, the solar system and the interstellar medium. This work delves into the study of the Sun activities through two complementary CubeSat missions, focusing on how these similar and modular platforms will face the mission's technical challenges while enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of key solar …

Digital Manufacturing Of Passive Rf Components: Achieving Economies Of Scale In A Mass Customized Environment, Thomas Ducellier, Grant Robertson, Ally Gorman

Small Satellite Conference

Satellite communication or Telemetry, Tracking and Command (TT&C) rely on a host of active and passive highly customized RF components and subsystems to perform. With volumes as low as a few units ranging to a few tens of thousands for mega constellations, realizing manufacturing economies of scale in the context of mass customization is challenging.

Here we are reporting results of a novel digital manufacturing process combining both substrative and additive computer-controlled fabrication of thin-film passive RF devices like filters, duplexers and isolators and circulators.

To further improve efficiency and SWaP-C (Size, Weight, Power and Cost) of devices, we will …

Efficient Data Pipelines For Combined Fpga/Apu Systems, Oskar Flordal

Small Satellite Conference

A common architecture for COTS payload computers in space applications combines a COTS APU (CPU+GPU combo) with an FPGA. The FPGA provides monitoring, Triple Modular Redundancy (TMR), and other space-suitable properties, while the APU serves as the high-performance compute component. The FPGA can also be utilized for custom interfaces and tasks it excels at, such as certain real-time operations.

Taiaho Observatory: An Automated Future Optical Communications Ground Station, Joseph Ashby, Kevin Walker, Samuel Kurian, Catherine Qualtrough, John Cater, Nicholas Rattenbury

Small Satellite Conference

Free Space Optical Communications (FSOC) is the next revolution in high-bandwidth satellite-to-earth data transmission. The critical challenge facing the widespread, commercial adoption of FSOC is requirement of a cloud-free line of sight (CFLOS) between the spaceborne asset and the optical ground station (OGS). One solution to this problem is the use of multiple OGSs in a geographically distributed network. Such networks include the European Optical Nucleus Network (EONN) and the Australasian Optical Ground Station Network (AOGSN). To transition from research to commercialization will necessitate an increase in the number of OGSs and their continuous operation. Automation will play a critical …

Sprint: Space-Based Prioritized Real-Time Inter-Satellite Network Technology, Ryan Adams, Ronald Fevig, Sreejith Vidhyadharan Nair, Dalia Ammar Khodja, Maleeha Altaf

Small Satellite Conference

No abstract provided.

Revolutionizing Leo Satellite Communications: Global Instant Full Orbit Access With Xlink Sdr Technology Will Be Enabled By Viasat's Incommand, And Commercialized In Cooperation With Rbc Signals As The Go.Bic Service, Mathias Reibe, Lukas Felderhoff, Klaus Jäckel, Juan-Pedro Mediano-Alameda, Yasrine Ibnyahya

Small Satellite Conference

A cutting-edge satellite communication system designed for instantaneous and globally available connection services, featuring automated resource allocation for real-time telecommand and telemetry tasks. The system will enable users to swiftly and in any arbitrary orbit position reserve communication bandwidth on-demand, streamlining the process through automatic allocation of channels and Earth-Air-Interface (EAI) parameters. Emphasizing real-time tasking, the system will cater to the essential and critical requirements of telecommand and telemetry operations in satellite management.

Framework For Radiation-Hardened Space Battery Management, Bhavika Kagathi

Small Satellite Conference

Battery management systems (BMS) are crucial for satellites to maintain a reliable energy source. Today, lithium-ion batteries act as the solution to reduce the cost and weight of satellites, yet still come with safety concerns.

The combination of the high energy density of Li-ion and flammable material associated with batteries can be hazardous due to thermal runaway, overcharging, improper balancing, and the chance of experiencing a short. Currently, there are no radiation-hardened balancer/monitor ICs with the ability to sense battery state of health and state of charge.

This poster highlights a discrete, autonomous, and reliable BMS approach that provides high …

Development Of A Methodology For Optimizing Satellite Durability By Coupling Advanced Orbit Propagation With High Fidelity 3d Thermal-Electrical Simulation, Corey D. Packard, Logan R. Canull, Zachary J. Edel, Timofey Golubev, Michael L. Larsen, Nate Mccoun

Small Satellite Conference

In the rapidly evolving landscape of low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite technology, this study presents a pioneering approach for analyzing satellite durability through advanced orbit propagation and high fidelity 3D thermal-electric simulation. Small satellites, packed with high power components and rapidly transitioning between sunlit and eclipsed orbit segments, often feature limited thermal control systems that make thermal management a challenging (but critical) task. Additionally, the durability of battery cells and photovoltaic (PV) panels over the mission lifetime of small satellites is an important concern. Cycling and calendar fade take their toll on battery lifetime, and PV degradation reduces operational efficiency …

A Shallow Convolutional Neural Network For Onboard Cubesat Image Classification, Sadikul Alim Toki, Abdulla Hil Kafi, Raihana Shams Islam Antara, Calvin Coopmans

Small Satellite Conference

The development of CubeSats dates back many years, and there has been much research on the payload's ability to analyze satellite images. Due to the difficulty in downlinking photographs owing to their size and communication limitations, the majority of CubeSats are currently constructed with image processing capabilities. The majority of CubeSat payloads are created using embedded technology, which fits CubeSats's size, weight, and power. However, the processing power of embedded devices is constrained. Different kinds of image classification models have been built based on fine-tuning previously trained models, which contain many parameters in this domain. While there has been some …

Orpheus: An International Mission To Characterise The Space Domain And Advance Future Concepts For Defence, Kit Grange, Alex Agathanggelou, Robert Boucher, Alex Gannon, Daniel A. Lavigne, Christine Mccullough, Andrew Nicholas

Small Satellite Conference

On the 9^th January 2023 the first UK launch reached space but failed to get into orbit, resulting in the loss of the Prometheus 2 and CIRCE R&D missions. The Orpheus mission aims to leverage the achievements in order to address the extant goals.

Leveraging Cross-Industry Knowledge To Improve The Design Of Space Systems, Jay Lewis, Christian M. Fuchs

Small Satellite Conference

There are valuable satellites that fail early and almost none have been repaired or investigated. Other industries benefit from feedback loops that use failure analysis to accelerate design and manufacturing improvements.¹⁷ Historically the cost of a repair mission would be so high it wouldn't be considered. The cost of space debris mitigation missions can be reduced by leveraging the learning other industries have experienced. Lowering the cost of repair missions will enable more debris mitigation, learn more about why missions failed, and lead to fewer failures and lower costs.

Many space programs rely on outdated processes that increase costs, …

Burstcube: Behind The Scenes Of A Do-No-Harm I&T Production, Katherine Fowee Gasaway, Lucia Tian, Julie Cox, Nickalas Cason, Benjamin Nold, Dakotah Rusley, Behnam Azimi, Judith Racusin, Jeremy Perkins, Robert Moss, Sean Semper, John Lucas, Pavel Galchenko, Israel Martinez Castellanos, Ava Myers, Daniel Violette

Small Satellite Conference

BurstCube is one of the most recent 6-U CubeSats built and developed by NASA Goddard Spaceflight Center (GSFC). As an astrophysics mission, BurstCube will be a rapid detection alert end-to-end mission system for short astrophysical gamma-ray bursts with the aim of increasing the chance of coincident detection of gamma-ray bursts. In addition, the mission is intended to augment the current fleet of gamma-ray astronomy satellites. The payload instrument includes 4 scintillator heads read out by arrays of silicon photomultipliers which will detect short astrophysical gamma-ray bursts. BurstCube provides a high field of view previously unavailable to larger missions and is …

Nasa Prism's Lunar Vertex Mission – Lessons Learned In Establishing A New Low-Cost Science Mission Paradigm, Ann L. Cox, William F. Ames

Small Satellite Conference

Lunar Vertex (LVx), a lander-rover science investigation of Reiner Gamma, was selected as NASA's first PRISM (Payloads and Research Investigations on the Surface of the Moon) mission in June 2021. The PRISM program is under NASA's Planetary Missions Program Office (PMPO). To facilitate a quick delivery at low cost, NASA is managing PRISM missions to the requirements for research and technology projects as documented in NASA Procedural Requirements document NPR 7120.8. It is JHU/APL's first science mission developed under the NPR 7120.8 requirements. NASA and JHU/APL worked together to accept a higher risk posture, to allow for less stringent requirements, …

The Stellar Occultation Hypertemporal Imaging Payload: A Year Aboard The International Space Station, Lance Simms, Dana Mcguffin, Cesar Laguna, Minh Pham, David Patrick, Brian Baumann, Jordan Karburn, Collin Averill, Steve Hunter, Princess Corral, Jeff Klingman, Darrell Carter, Jon Gordon, Ik Jang, George Dankiewicz, Pete Supsinskas, Ron Kane, Matt Horsley, Philip Cameron-Smith, John Ganino, Wim De Vries, Ryan Fellini, Frank Ravizza, Ben Bahney

Small Satellite Conference

From its vantage point on the aft side of the International Space Station (ISS), for just over a year the Stellar Occultation Hypertemporal Imaging Payload (SOHIP) monitored the light from bright stars traveling through Earth's atmosphere. Using two optical telescopes, SOHIP's mission was to measure the scintillation and refractive bending of this starlight to detect and characterize upper atmospheric perturbations down to length scales of 10 meters. SOHIP measurements of atmospheric properties such as temperature, pressure, air-density, and refractivity profiles at altitudes up to 50 kilometers can provide estimates of atmospheric gravity waves and turbulence in the stratosphere. Designed and …

A ‘Nuclear Bomb’ Or Just ‘A Joke’? Groundwater Models May Help Communicate Nuanced Risks To The Great Salt Lake, Matthew D. Laplante, Piyush Dahal, Shih-Yu Simon Wang, Kirsti Hakala, Avik Mukherjee

Plants, Soils, and Climate Faculty Publications

The Great Salt Lake entered the zeitgeist of environmental concern in 2022 when a coalition of scientists and activists warned in a highly publicized report that the lake might be just five years away from complete desiccation, a possibility one state official warned was tantamount to an “environmental nuclear bomb”. Shortly thereafter, an unpredicted and unprecedented pluvial winter resulted in an increase in inflow, temporarily halting the lake’s decline and prompting Utah’s governor to mock the dire prediction as “a joke”, an outcome that speaks to the tension between agenda-setting and trust-building that researchers face when sharing worst-case warnings, particularly …

Garai Mission: Two Microsatellites Embarking Four Imagers For Multispectral Submetric Earth Observation Serving Critical Applications, Jon Paul Babio, Bastiaan Lagaune, Staffan Persson, Enne Hekma, Xavier Lopez

Small Satellite Conference

SATLANTIS MICROSATS SA and OHB Sweden are finalizing 2 micro satellites together under the project name GARAI, first launch scheduled in October 2024. This paper will present the current status of the High-Resolution Multispectral satellite and the services it will enable.

Each satellite will embark two binocular imagers from the iSIM family, iSIM-90 and iSIM-170, combining high resolution images and videos with swath values up to 13 km and multispectrality, with a total of 14 different filters split between the four optical channels covering SWIR spectra, VIS Polarimetry, and PAN + VNIR spectra.

The GARAI mission incorporates OHB Sweden's flight …

Suncet: The Sun Coronal Ejection Tracker, James Paul Mason

Small Satellite Conference

The Sun Coronal Ejection Tracker (SunCET) is a CubeSat funded by NASA Heliophysics dedicated to figuring out how coronal mass ejections (CMEs) are accelerated. There are SO MANY theories and models about how stored up magnetic energy can be released to force massive amounts of plasma to escape its magnetic confinement. Perhaps the background magnetic field falls with height just steeply enough that even a small random expansion of a flux rope is enough to let it fly free (torus instability model). Or perhaps the boiling motion at the surface of the star twists the coronal magnetic field so much …

The Current Status Of The Startup Cubesat Program In Tasa, Chia-Ray Chen, Yu-Tang You, Yu-Wei Chiu, Ben Lin, Alex Chou, Arthur Wang, Samuel Liu, Larry Hung, Keng Chen

Small Satellite Conference

The Startup CubeSat Program, approved by the National Science and Technology Council in Taiwan, spans from 2022 to 2031, covering a total duration of ten years. Serving as an incubator for Space Startups in Taiwan, the program is designed to assist vendors in completing proof-of-concepts (POCs) for their CubeSat missions, ensuring the viability and sustainability of their business models in the future. The initial phase of the Startup CubeSat Program comprises a 3U communication CubeSat and a 3U remote sensing CubeSat. The 3U Communication CubeSat aims to showcase the capabilities of high-speed satellite loT applications. Meanwhile, the 3U remote sensing …

Extremely Low Earth Orbit Imaging And Technology Explorer (Elite): A Very Low Earth Orbit Mission, Kashyapa Naren Athreyas, Xiaohua Zhang, Wee Seng Lim, Sai Sudha Ramesh, Boo Cheong Khoo, Wai Lee Chan

Small Satellite Conference

Extremely Low earth orbit Imaging and Technology Explorer (ELITE) is an experimental micro-satellite on a mission to demonstrate the very low earth orbit (VLEO) flight, high-resolution imaging, and atmospheric data collection. The spacecraft will be launched at an altitude of 550 km, and it will gradually manoeuvre its orbit into VLEO and perform sustained flights are different altitudes for data collection. The camera on-board uses time-dependant integration (TDI) technology to produce high-resolution images. Therefore, the objective is to orbit as low as possible while maintaining the attitude stability required for TDI imaging. Besides the primary imaging mission, the spacecraft also …

The Acmes Triton Satellite: A Versatile Platform For The Next Generation Of Advanced High Power Cubesats, Lucas Anderson, Crystal Frazier, Chad Fish, Bruno Mattos, Michael Kirk, Charles Swenson, Miguel Nunes, Robert Wright

Small Satellite Conference

The Active Cooling for Multispectral Earth Sensors mission is an upcoming technology flight demonstration funded by the NASA Science Mission Directorate (ESTO STMD) through the In-space Validation of Earth Science Technologies (InVEST) program. ACMES is currently being developed by teams from the Center for Space Engineering (CSE) at Utah State University (USU), Orion Space Solutions (OSS), and the Hawaii Spaceflight Institute (HSFL). ACMES will feature a variety of next-generation Earth Science remote sensing and in situ ionospheric payloads, including the second-generation Hyperspectral Thermal Imager (HyTI 2.0) instrument, a LWIR push-broom interferometer that produces 25 spectral bands between ~8-12 μm with …

Tracers Mission And Gnc Architecture, Sanny Omar, Reid Reynolds

Small Satellite Conference

The Tandem Reconnection and Cusp Electrodynamics Reconnaissance Satellites (TRACERS) NASA mission consists of two identical spinner spacecraft built by Millennium Space Systems to investigate the effects of solar wind on the Earth's magnetosphere, particularly in the Northern "magnetic cusp" region near the magnetic North pole. The TRACERS satellites will measure AC/DC magnetic fields, electric fields, and electron/ion distributions to better characterize Earth-sun interactions and determine whether magnetic reconnection phenomena are primarily spatially or temporarily driven. This will improve our ability to understand and forecast space weather and "solar storms" which have the potential to disrupt or damage power grids and …

Starling Cubesat Swarm Technology Demonstration Flight Results, Scott Miller, Caleb Adams, Nahum Alem, Howard Cannon, Randy Grashuis, Ted Hendriks, Soon Hwang, Michael Iatauro, Craig Pires, Justin Kruger, Simone D'Amico

Small Satellite Conference

The Starling swarm of four 6U CubeSats launched in July 2023 to test four key technologies to enable future swarm missions:

1) Mobile Ad-Hoc Networking (MANET) over a crosslink radio network

2) Autonomous onboard decision-making for operations

3) Optical-based absolute and relative navigation

4) Autonomous maneuver planning and execution

The Starling team implemented the Better Approach to Mobile Ad-hoc Networking (B.A.T.M.A.N.) protocol to automatically manage the crosslink network of four satellites. The B.A.T.M.A.N. protocol uses a decentralized approach to managing a molti-hop mesh network of devices, in this case, a satellite swarm. The four satellites were able to successfully establish …

Operating In A Unique Three Body Orbit With A Stuck Thruster, Hannah Umansky, Jack Kelly, Rebecca Rogers, Ethan Kayser, Alec Forsman, Connor Ott, Anthony Zara, Michael Caudill

Small Satellite Conference

The CAPSTONE mission, currently operating in an Earth-Moon L2 Near Rectilinear Halo Orbit (NRHO), encountered a thruster anomaly in transit to NRHO that resulted in thruster valve remaining permanently open. After resolving the initial anomaly recovering the spacecraft from body rates greater than 120 deg/s, the CAPSTONE team redesigned the thruster controller as well as the spacecraft state machine to enable continued propulsive operations including successful insertion into and sustained operations in NRHO. While the redesign enabled continued utilization of the propulsion system with a stuck thruster, the resulting system presents continued operational challenges within the NRHO environment.

The CAPSTONE …

Advancing Low Earth Orbit: Achievements And Lessons From The Darpa Blackjack Program, Elvis Silva, Henry Martin, Scott Lowery

Small Satellite Conference

The Defense Advanced Research Programs Administration (DARPA) Blackjack program, initiated with the goal of integrating advancements from the commercial sector in Low Earth Orbit (LEO), emphasizes cost savings through the miniaturization of space systems and lower launch costs. This approach aims to enhance affordability in achieving LEO orbits, with the ultimate objective of demonstrating performance comparable to current systems in geosynchronous orbit that employ longer design and development timelines.

Results From On-Orbit Operation Of Cubesat-Scale Robotic Arms On The International Space Station, Khush Thakor, Taiwo Wusu, Christine Maceo, Jin S. Kang

Small Satellite Conference

Technological advancements in robotics and additive manufacturing have accelerated the on-orbit capabilities of space vehicles. These advancements, combined with the surge in satellite constellations and the harsh space environment, motivated innovative approaches for sustaining space assets using other space vehicles, including on-orbit servicing, removal, and manufacturing. On-orbit servicing enables maintenance, repairs, and upgrades to existing satellites, decelerating the accumulation of space debris and offering a cost-effective alternative to traditional satellite replacement. On-orbit removal (relocation or collection) of defunct spacecraft from orbital graveyards declutters space real estate for future space infrastructure and human spaceflight. On-orbit manufacturing reduces launch costs and facilitates …

Improved Forecasting Of Leo Satellite Orbital Decay During The 25Th Solar Cycle Maximum, Ravi Teja Nallapu, Chen Yap, Mike Siegers, Isil Demir, Kiruthika Devaraj, Scott Mcintosh

Small Satellite Conference

Planet is a leading provider of global, daily satellite imagery and geospatial solutions. Planet's mission is to image the world every day and make change visible, accessible, and actionable. To enable this mission, Planet operates the world's largest constellation of Earth Observation satellites (about 180 Doves and 20 Skysats) in the LEO environment of 400-550 km. However, this latitude regime became a challenging environment as we approached the solar maximum of the 25th solar cycle. The solar cycle describes an 11-year rotation period of the Sun's magnetic poles, which is characterized by several activities like solar flares and coronal mass …

Amsat-Oscar-7, A Still Operational, Small-Satellite History Lesson, Jan A. King, Frank Wiesenmeyer, Scott Wiesenmeyer

Small Satellite Conference

It has often been reported that the oldest satellites still working in space are, collectively, the JPL Space Probes Voyager 1 and Voyager 2. The Voyagers were both launched in 1977 to take advantage of the planetary alignment called, back then, the "Grand Tour". This was the alignment of the outer planets, which allowed, using gravitational assist, both Voyagers to visit multiple planets each. Both missions were nothing short of spectacular and they still expand our imaginations. Their images changed the human vision of our solar system. But, are they really the oldest, still functional spacecraft in outer space? What …

Assessment Of Economic Viability Of Direct Current Fast Charging Infrastructure Investments For Electric Vehicles In The United States, Daniel Bernal, Adeeba A. Raheem, Sundeep Inti, Hongjie Wang

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

As the global transportation sector increasingly adopts electric vehicles, the demand for advanced and accessible charging infrastructure is rising. In addition to at-home electric vehicle (EV) charging, there is a growing need for the swift development of commercial direct current fast charging (DCFC) stations to meet on-the-go EV charging demands. While government funds are available to support the expansion of the EV charging network in the United States, the establishment of a robust nationwide EV charging infrastructure requires significant private sector investment. This study was conducted to assess the economic feasibility of various business models for fast charging stations in …

Design And Development Of An Active Magnetic Docking System For Small Satellites, Atheel Redah, Saurav Paudel, Milan Pathak, Chaitanya Athawle, Om Sai Swaroop Mopidevi, Felix Sittner, Sergio Montenegro

Small Satellite Conference

Applications such as self-assembly and reconfiguration in space, on-orbit servicing and refueling, debris and retired elements removal are examples of future space missions that will require space objects that can perform autonomous rendezvous and docking maneuvers with other orbiting elements.

To demonstrate such capability for small satellites, the TAMARIW project is intended to develop two identical 3U CubeSats with autonomous docking systems. These satellites are scheduled to be launched by the end of the first quarter of 2026 to perform several undocking/docking maneuvers in space at predefined relative distances. In addition, the standardization and partial autonomy of the satellite modules …