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The Esa Φsat-2 Mission: An A.I Enhanced Multispectral Cubesat For Earth Observation, Nicola Melega, Valentina Marchese, Agnė Paškevičiūtė-Kidron, Bernardo Carnicero Dominguez, Nicolas Longepe, Oriol Aragon Casaled, Irina Babkina, Alessandro Marin, Hano Steyn, Léonie Buckley, Jakub Nalepa, Sofia Oliveira, Giorgia Guerrisi

Small Satellite Conference

As part of an initiative to promote the development and implementation of innovative technologies on-board Earth Observation (EO) missions, the European Space Agency (ESA) kicked off the first Φsat related activities in 2018 with the aim of enhancing the already ongoing FSSCAT project with Artificial Intelligence (AI).

The selected Φsat-2 concept will provide a combination of on-board processing capabilities (including AI) and a medium to high resolution multispectral instrument from Visible to Near Infra-Red (VIS/NIR) able to acquire 8 bands (7 + Panchromatic) provided by SIMERA SENSE Europe (BE). These resources will be made available to a series of dedicated …

Ninjasat: 6u Cubesat Observatory For Bright X-Ray Sources, Toru Tamagawa, Takao Kitaguchi, Yo Kato, Tatehiro Mihara, Kentaro Taniguchi, Teruaki Enoto, Tomoshi Takeda, Yuto Yoshida, Naoyuki Ota, Syoki Hayashi, Sota Watanabe, Arata Jujo, Amira Aoyama, Yuanhui Zhou, Keisuke Uchiyama, Wataru Iwakiri, Masaki Numazawa, Hiroki Sato, Chin-Ping Hu, Hiromitsu Takahashi, Hirokazu Odaka, Tsubasa Tamba

Small Satellite Conference

NinjaSat is a 6U CubeSat observatory designed for long-term monitoring of bright X-ray sources, such as binary systems between normal stars and black holes or neutron stars. NinjaSat is the first Japanese CubeSat dedicated to astronomical observation, and it is also a mission to demonstrate that even a small satellite, which can be developed quickly and inexpensively, unlike large satellites, can perform excellent scientific observations. NinjaSat realizes the world’s highest X-ray sensitivity in CubeSat missions by using gas X-ray detectors filling the entire space allocated for science payloads. The fabrication of the flight model payloads began in 2021, and testing …

Arksat. The First Operational Demonstrator Of Novel Ground Tracking And Deorbiting Technology Towards Active Spectroscopic For Small Satellite System, Samuel Ramon Cano, Cassandra Sands, Charles Smith, Adam Huang

Small Satellite Conference

The ARKSAT Cube-Satellite Missions will be the first student-led satellites in the State of Arkansas and have been developed primarily at the University of Arkansas (UA)-Fayetteville. The primary goal is the technology development and flight demonstration in pursuit of the Active SpecTROmeter for Small Satellites System (ASTROSS), utilizing formation flights of cooperating light emitters (ARKSAT-3E) and receivers/spectrometers. ARKSAT-1, to be presented at this meeting, is a 1U CubeSat that aims to test critical UA-developed subsystems, including a high-power LED (∼ 12,000 lumens) and novel deorbiting balloon. The follow-on ARKSAT-2, to be launched in 2024, will test flight control subsystems intended …

The Aepex Mission: Imaging Energetic Particle Precipitation Into Earth’S Upper Atmosphere, Robert A. Marshall, Grant D. Berland, Joseph Buescher, Siwani Regmi, Richard A. Kohnert, Amal Chandran, Spencer Boyajian, Tom Woods, Harlan E. Spence, Sonya Smith, Michael P. Mccarthy, Christopher M. Cully

Small Satellite Conference

Radiation belt electron fluxes can be enhanced during geomagnetic storms by two orders of magnitude; subsequently, these fluxes decay back to nominal levels in a few days. Precipitation into the upper atmosphere is a primary loss mechanism for these electrons, particularly during the decay phase. Upon impacting the upper atmosphere, these electrons create new ionization, leading to a chemical response that increases NOx and HOx and destroys ozone. Quantifying both radiation belt loss and the impact on the atmosphere requires an accurate estimate of the flux, energy spectrum, and spatial and temporal scales of precipitation.

The NASA-funded Atmospheric Effects of …

Performance Analysis And Electromagnetic Compatibility Of A Novel Wideband Radio Frequency Remote Sensing Payload, Jacob Von Chorus, Erica Peterson, Nicolaas Handojo, Nathan Cole, Robert E. Zee

Small Satellite Conference

The increase in scale, complexity, and sensitivity of small satellite radio frequency payloads presents challenges in spacecraft level environmental performance testing. The Space Flight Laboratory is developing a novel wideband radio frequency payload for use on multiple satellites as part of a distributed remote sensing system. Qualification of this payload at the spacecraft level is complicated by the range of frequencies requiring analysis, the variety of received signal types, and having to qualify the payload on multiple satellites with differing configurations. This paper presents the system level radio frequency performance testing framework developed to efficiently qualify this new payload consistently …

Design Of A Scientific-Grade Multispectral Imager For Nanosatellites, Joosep Kivastik, Silvar Muru, Meelis Pihlap, Hans Hubert Sams, Madis Kaspar Nigol, Hendrik Ehrpais, Mihkel Pajusalu

Small Satellite Conference

Applications in agriculture, land-cover change, and vegetation phenology, to name a few, would benefit from more frequent high-quality remote sensing data. However, ”Landsat-class” satellites are too expensive for such applications. Therefore, there is a need to augment larger Earth observation satellites with nanosatellites that use scientific-grade imaging instruments. This paper presents the design for the scientific-grade multispectral imager Theia. It is designed for a 5% radiometric accuracy at a ground sampling distance of 33 m at a 650 km orbit while keeping the modulation transfer function above 0.13 at the Nyquist frequency. The camera has reflective optics with an aluminium …

Development Of Radiation Belt Monitors For The 6u Cubesat X-Ray Observatory Ninjasat, Yo Kato, Toru Tamagawa, Takao Kitaguchi, Tatehiro Mihara, Kentaro Taniguchi, Teruaki Enoto, Tomoshi Takeda, Yuto Yoshida, Naoyuki Ota, Syoki Hayashi, Sota Watanabe, Arata Jujo, Amira Aoyama, Yuanhui Zhou, Keisuke Uchiyama, Wataru Iwakiri, Masaki Numazawa, Hiroki Sato, Chin-Ping Hu, Hiromitsu Takahashi, Hirokazu Odaka, Tsubasa Tamba, Satoshi Hatori

Small Satellite Conference

NinjaSat is a 6U CubeSat-sized X-ray observatory to be launched into the low Earth orbit at an altitude of 550 km, and is scheduled for launch this October. NinjaSat is equipped with two 1U-sized gas X-ray detectors (GMC) and is expected to operate mainly for astronomical observations of bright X-ray objects in the sky, such as neutron stars and black holes.

Since high voltages are applied to the gas cells of GMC, two radiation belt monitors (RBM) will also be installed to protect GMC from electrical discharges potentially caused by excessively high rate of charged particles. NinjaSat RBM will play …

Development And Implementation Of Automated Planning In Cubesats, Liam Riley, Vedika Ghildyal, Cameron Bonesteel, Deepak Mishra

Small Satellite Conference

The University of Georgia’s (UGA) Small Satellite Research Laboratory (SSRL) is developing two CubeSat missions, each with ambitious operational goals that require accounting for a large number of variables. Given the inherent difficulty of fulfilling these requirements without complex onboard autonomous decision-making software, an automated ground-based solution is desirable. To meet this demand, SSRL is implementing an operational pipeline to effectively integrate the newly authored Multi-aspect Automated Satellite Scheduler (MASS) into both missions. MASS is administered and tested by SSRL’s Mission Operations and Flight Software teams. MASS implements a complex decisional tree informed by CubeSat operational requirements, and determines operational …

Communication, Localization And Synchronization Of Spacecraft For Swarm Missions, Yoan Grégoire, Hervé Guillon, Clément Dudal, David Valat, Bernard Pontet

Small Satellite Conference

Swarm missions are based on the use of several spacecraft working together to pursue a specific task for a specific mission. To allow these elements to work together, it is necessary for them to be able to communicate with each other and to synchronize themselves within the swarm. Moreover, the mission may likely require knowing the relative or absolute positions of the spacecraft in the swarm.

In order to collect simultaneous measurements allowing computing localization and synchronization in the swarm, a full duplex CDMA communication method is studied by CNES. An Inter Satellite Link (ISL) transmitter prototype is currently under …

Saturn: A Technological Demonstration Mission For Distributed Sar Imaging, Matteo Battilana, Giulia Capuani, Vito Lamarca, Luca Maioli, Vincenzo Mancini, Maria Lucia Tampellini, Fabio Gerace, Davide Giudici, Pietro Guccione, Julien Marini, Luciano D’Agristina, Domenico Di Lanzo, Andrea Monti Guarnieri, Alberto Fedele, Roberto Luciani, Francesco Tataranni, Silvia Natalucci

Small Satellite Conference

The OHB-Italia S.p.A-led consortium is in the midst of Phase B of SATURN (Synthetic AperTure radar cUbesat foRmation flyiNg), part of ALCOR, an Italian Space Agency (ASI) programme promoting the development of the next generation Italian CubeSats. SATURN is a demonstration mission that features Multiple-Input-Multiple-Output (MIMO) technology applied to a Swarm of CubeSats equipped with Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) for Earth Observation. MIMO is based on cooperative active sensors, where each one transmits signals and receives the illuminated common area backscatter related to the entire swarm, increasing measurement performances with a trend approximatively equal to the square of …

Developing Intelligent Space Systems: A Survey And Rubric For Future Missions, Mary Dahl, Christine Page, Kerri Cahoy, Evana Gizzi

Small Satellite Conference

Space exploration continues to inspire the development of advanced technologies to explore the universe. From moon landings and the Mars rovers to the recent successful deployment of the James Webb Telescope, space exploration continues to push the limits of what is possible in both science and technology and to pave new ways for the discovery of our galaxy. While we have seen great advancements and barriers broken, we remain limited in our ability to optimize science discovery without onboard intelligent capabilities to enable complex system missions. In this paper, we focus on AI technologies and cross-disciplinary directions for sparking research …

Comparison Of Tracking-By-Detection Algorithms For Real-Time Satellite Component Tracking, M. Nehru J. Attzs, Trupti Mahendrakar, Mackenzie J. Meni, Ryan T. White, Isaac Silver

Small Satellite Conference

With space becoming more and more crowded, there is a growing demand for increasing satellite lifetimes and performing on-orbit servicing (OOS) at a scale that calls for autonomous missions. Many such missions would require chaser satellites to autonomously execute safe and effective flightpath to dock with a non-cooperative target satellite on orbit. Performing this autonomously requires the chaser to be aware of hazards to route around and safe capture points through time, i.e., by first identifying and tracking key components of the target satellite. State-of-the-art object detection algorithms are effective at detecting such objects on a frame-by-frame basis. However, implementing …

Thermal Operation For The 6u Deep Space Cubesat Equuleus In The Initial Critical Phase, Kazuki Toma, Toshihiro Shibukawa, Shunhei Matsushita, Shingo Nishimoto, Hokuto Sekine, Aoma Fujimori, Isamu Moriai, Ryu Funase

Small Satellite Conference

EQUULEUS (EQUilibriUm Lunar-Earth point 6U Spacecraft) was launched to deep space by NASA's SLS (Space Launch System) on November 16, 2022. It has an engineering mission to demonstrate low-energy orbit maneuvering to EML2, a libration orbit around the second Earth-Moon Lagrange Point using the water propulsion system “AQUARIUS” (AQUA ResIstojet propUlsion System). The initial critical phase in EQUULEUS refers to a series of operational procedures associated with the first delta-V(DV1), which generated the largest thrust throughout the entire mission, taking place about 38 hours after separation for entering the transfer orbit to EML2. Thisorbit control was followed …

Linear Model Predictive Control Of A Cubesat Servicer For On-Orbit Servicing, Mitchell Kurnell, Inna Sharf

Small Satellite Conference

On-Orbit Servicing (OOS) is a field of orbital operations concerned with the maintenance, repair, and refuelling of space assets. It is one of many proposed solutions to aid with the mitigation of the growing space debris population. In this work, we propose the use of a CubeSat servicer equipped with a 1 Degree of Freedom (DoF) robotic arm for performing Orbital Replacement Unit (ORU) installations to demonstrate its capabilities for OOS. The servicer is controlled using Model Predictive Control (MPC) which computes control inputs using a linearized form of the system dynamics while considering the strict force and torque constraints …

The Design, Analysis And Testing Of Low Cost Dual Deployable Solar Panels For Small Satellite Missions, Celvi Lisy, Linda Hu, Lillian Shoemaker, Scott Palo, Whitney Lohmeyer

Small Satellite Conference

The National Science Foundation (NSF) funded university small satellite mission, Space Weather Atmospheric Reconfigurable Multiscale Experiment (SWARM-EX) is designed to address outstanding aeronomy and space weather questions while demonstrating swarm behavior in constellations of six to twelve 3U CubeSats. SWARM-EX is limited in power, which requires the use of dual-deployable solar panels in order to maximize the number of solar cells powering the small satellite. Commercial off the shelf (COTS) dual-deployable solar panel options tend to be expensive, necessitating the creation of custom-built, dual-deployable solar panels. The design of the dual-deployable solar panels is constrained in volume, manufacturability, and survivability …

Freeze-Drying As Chromobacterium Violaceum's Preservation Method For The Bixo Mission, Martín Blanco Prego, Zavier Manuel De Rada Piñeiro, Manuel Diz-Folgar, Daniel García-Lojo

Small Satellite Conference

Over the past few years, the space sector has witnessed a growing interest in exploring how biological organisms, such as Escherichia coli or Saccharomyces cerevisiae, respond to high radiation and microgravity environments. Among the various biological space missions, CubeSats, particularly SmallSats, have emerged as a popular platform for conducting such experiments owing to their reduced size and cost-effectiveness, which allows for the integration of miniaturized labs to study microorganisms onboard. However, the biggest challenge facing such missions is the preservation of living organisms for extended periods before the start of the experiments.

The UVigo SpaceLab team is currently developing a …

Concepts And Considerations For Small Satellite Constellation Deployment Via Momentum Exchange Tethers, Ben Campbell

Small Satellite Conference

For the small satellite community, establishing new satellite constellations using traditional practices can be costly, require a long time to perform, and be logistically difficult to accomplish. Most existing satellite constellations have been established using methods involving either multiple independent launches of member satellites, the inclusion of propulsion systems aboard ride-sharing satellites capable of providing significant ΔV to increase spread, or a combination of the two involving space tugs. One approach that can potentially enable the small satellite community to more easily execute missions involving their own constellations is to implement a rotating momentum exchange tether deployment system launched using …

Extreme Ultraviolet Reflective Grating Characterization And Simulationsfor The Aspera Smallsat Mission, Jessica S. Li, Aafaque R. Khan, Jason Corliss, Haeun Chung, Simran Agarwal, Erika Hamden, Carlos J. Vargas, Bill Verts, Hop Bailey, Trenton Brendel, Peter Behroozi, Harrison Bradley, Jacob Chambers, Tom Connors, Fernando Coronado, Ewan Douglas, Elijah Garcia, Giulia Ghidoli, Alfred Goodwin, Dave Hamara, Walter Harris, Karl Harshman, Miriam Keppler, Daewook Kim, Jasmine Martinez Castillo, Tom Mcmahon, Nicole Melso, Jamison Noenickx, Stacy Oliver, Ryan Pecha, Bashar Rizk, Cork Suave

Small Satellite Conference

The Aspera SmallSat mission is designed to detect and map the warm-hot gaseous component of the halos of nearby galaxies through long-slit spectroscopy of the ionized O VI emission line (103.2 nm) for the first time. The Aspera Rowland circle type spectrograph uses a toroidal grating coated with a multilayer film consisting of aluminum, lithium fluoride, and magnesium fluoride capping to optimize reflectivity in the extreme ultraviolet (EUV) waveband from 103 to 104nm. We discuss the grating characterization test setup at the University of Arizona (UA), which will validate the multilayer coating and grating efficiency in a UV vacuum chamber. …

A Summary Of Neural Radiance Fields For Shadow Removal And Relighting Of Satellite Imagery, Caleb Adams, Ignacio Lopez-Francos, Ellemieke Van Kints, Aiden Hammond

Small Satellite Conference

Multi-view stereo photogrammetric techniques are conventionally utilized to generate Global Digital Elevation Models (GDEM) of planetary and lunar surfaces. However, these methods, relying on conventional feature detectors, are often subject to inaccuracies caused by changes in lighting conditions, including diffuse reflection and harsh shading. This has limited the ability of these methods to accurately reconstruct shadowed regions in orbital imagery, such as highly shaded urban areas and the permanently shadowed regions (PSRs) located on the lunar surface, which are critical targets for NASA’s Artemis program. Neural Radiance Fields (NeRFs) offer a novel solution to these limitations by breaking away from …

Automating Spacecraft Analysis: The Era Of Ontological Modeling & Simulation, Michael Halvorson, Noah Moyers, Carlos Domani, Johny Corona, Matthew Gillis, Sean Price, Aiden Raley, Andrew Crudup, Andrew Walter, Coleman Deschepper, Grant Gravitt, Jacob Wilkins, Nik Dreicer, Seth Porter, Tyler Babinec, Tyler Johnson, Nicolas Tsolas, L. Dale Thomas

Small Satellite Conference

Verification by analysis is a predicted compliance of a design to imposed requirements. The levels of performance specified by performance requirements can be related to Technical Performance Measures (TPM) in a Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) environment, but engineers performing verification by analysis are not commonly versed in professional Systems Engineering (SE) techniques or modeling languages such as SysML. As the formal application of Systems Engineering (SE) results in a diminution of time, effort, and money for large-scale projects, enabling technical engineers performing verification by analysis to contribute to MBSE improvements in the course of their daily work is financially incentivized. …

The Kihm-9: A Novel Self-Deploying Picosat Antenna Design For Reflectarray Antennas, Nathan Coleman, Mitchel Skinner, Collin Ynchausti, Spencer Magleby, Larry Howell, Akash Biswas

Small Satellite Conference

Reflectarray antennas are popular on satellites for their ability to achieve similar performance to parabolic antennas in a more compact volume. This project shows how integrating novel technologies achieves the benefits of larger antennas while maintaining the advantages of small satellites. The objective of this research is to create a reflectarray antenna for a holographic metasurface that utilizes the volume surrounding a CubeSat when stowed, incorporates a novel pin-less hinge, includes a self-deploying and stabilizing joint, and is manufactured out of space-grade materials. By using hinges embedded with membranes and magnets, issues with lubrication and outgassing may be avoided, and …

Proxy Voting Coordination Mechanisms: Determining How Agents Should Coordinate In A Continuous Preference Space, Michael D. Hegerhorst

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Illness, injury, and other impediments are common occurrences of everyday life. Such impediments prevent or deter voters from participating in important parts of the voting process, especially deliberation, bargaining, and the voting itself. Without participation, the results of the vote may change. There is a need to provide a system in which voters are still able to participate in important voting processes to ensure their vote is represented. We explore ‘proxy voting,’ a system in which voters are able to select another individual, or proxy, to vote on their behalf. By choosing a good proxy, a voter can still …

Quantifying The Impacts And Assessing The Permeability Of A Divided Four-Lane Highway On Migratory Mule Deer, Daniel P. Taylor

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Increased human development and expansion has led to an ever-growing transportation network, which has both direct and indirect ecological impacts to local wildlife populations. In response, wildlife crossing structures have become an increasingly fundamental component of wildlife conservation throughout the United States. The focus of this study was a 13.5 km section of US Highway 395, Mono County, California. The California Department of Transportation recently identified this section of highway, hereafter known as the Mammoth Wildlife Crossing, as the highest priority location for wildlife crossing structures along US 395 within Mono County. The goal of this study was to use …

Development Of Large-Scale Pseudo-3d Shear Wave Velocity Models At The Garner Valley Downhole Array Site, Isabella Corey

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

In order to design structures that can withstand anticipated earthquake loads, it is first necessary to understand the behavior of the subsurface when subjected to ground motions. To achieve this, different models and approaches have been proposed in recent decades, each with the aim of estimating how site-specific stratigraphy can amplify and/or scatter seismic waves. All of these methods require, to varying extents, information about the types of soil layers, their thickness, their stiffnesses (represented by a shear wave velocity profile), and lateral variability across the site. This last characteristic is often both difficult and costly to determine. Past research …

Drug Cartels And Government In Mexico: A Replication And Extension, Lindsey A. Beckstead

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This paper analyzes the relationship between drug cartels and the government in Mexico. It also seeks to determine the reasons for an upsurge of violence and cartel related murders in Mexico.

Developing Firmware For Space Weather Probes 2 Using Hdl Coder, Nicholas L. Wallace

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

GPS and wireless communications are affected by interference from the ionosphere. Space weather affects plasma in the ionosphere, causing communication disruptions and reliability issues. To better understand how space weather affects the ionosphere, instruments are flown in space to collect data about the electrical characteristics of plasma in the ionosphere. Space systems require a lot of time and effort to develop and test. This thesis explores how a high level tool can be used to simplify the process and some obstacles that still exist with developing some space systems. To do this, the firmware architecture of a new version of …

Contextualization Of El Salvador’S Need For A Powerful Executive: A Lockean Analysis Of Nayib Bukele's Approach To Public Security In A Historical, Political, And Social Synthesis, Manuel Agresio Girón Alemán

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

For most of the three decades that have presided over the Salvadoran Civil War, El Salvador has been a state tormented by high levels of crime, especially the country's homicide rate, a product of the strong presence of criminal organizations such as MS-13 and 18th Street Gang. The current president of El Salvador, Nayib Bukele, who took office in 2019, has declared war on gangs under a state of emergency where the human rights of suspected criminals are violated, particularly their due process guarantees. This has caused Bukele’s government to draw strong condemnation and criticism from foreign governments and human …

Multispecies Genomic Sex Identification Using Ddx3 Gene Polymorphisms, Jessica Felts

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

PCR sex determination assays must be reliable and cost effective due to the frequent and integral use of these assays in biological research and the animal production industry. Thus, the design of proof of a primer pair with a built-in control is warranted to not only bypass the extra cost of a multiplex reaction, but also to prevent anomalous results that have been documented with other primer pairs.

The objective of this study was to design primer pairs with built in PCR amplification control to identify sex in Equus caballus (domestic horse), Homo sapiens (humans), Macaca mulatta (rhesus macaque), and …

Antimicrobial Peptides In Transgenic Silkworm Silk, David Jaden Turner

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Overview: People in India and China have produced silk textiles for thousands of years. Silk is a biodegradable, biocompatible compound used in the production of clothing, bedding, furniture, industrial materials, and medical applications. Over the last 30 years, research has increasingly investigated silk’s antimicrobial effects and how to augment its natural abilities. Antimicrobial peptides, or AMPs, are also an area of increasing interest as the rise of antibiotic resistance reduces the efficacy of current treatments. This project plans to systematically synthesize a fusion protein that incorporates the beneficial properties of each constituent into commercial silkworms.

Innovation: This project seeks to …

Gesture And Language In Children Enrolled In Early Intervention, Makenzy S. Turner

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Language development in preschool-age children is important, as children with early language delays are at risk for difficulties in other areas such as literacy skills, behavioral skills, and social/emotional skills. Gesture has been found to be linked to language skills in young children. This study examined gesture use and language development in a group of young children receiving early intervention services.

This study found that children with language delays at 24 months used fewer gestures during play. Additionally, gesture use was positively associated with other factors that may influence language, such as parent responsiveness and household income. Furthermore, 24-month child …