Digital Commons Network^™

The Atmospheric Waves Experiment (Awe), L. Scherliess, M. J. Taylor, P.-Dominique Pautet, Y. Zhao, B. Lamborn, H. Latvakoski, G. Cantwell, P. Sevilla, E. Syrstad, J. Forbes, S. Eckermann, D. Fritts, D. Janches, H. Liu, J. Snively

Space Dynamics Laboratory Publications

Modern theory and modeling indicate that atmospheric gravity waves (AGWs) play an important role in vertical coupling of the atmosphere-ionosphere system. Although small-scale AGWs (horizontal wavelengths ~30–300 km) are thought to account for the dominant energy and momentum inputs at Ionosphere-Thermosphere-Mesosphere (ITM) altitudes, the sources, variability, and influences of small-scale AGWs are still major unknowns. NASA’s Atmospheric Waves Experiment (AWE) mission is a Heliophysics Small Explorers Mission of Opportunity designed to investigate how terrestrial weather affects space weather, via small-scale AGWs produced in Earth’s atmosphere. Installed on the International Space Station (ISS) in November 2023, AWE began its 2-year mission …

Distributed Coherent Beamforming At 60 Ghz Enabled By Optically-Established Coherence, Drake Silbernagel, Yu Rong, Isabella Lenz, Prithvi Hemanth, Carl Morgenstern, Owen Ma, Nolan Matthews, Nadar Zaki, Kyle W. Martin, John D. Elgin, Jacob Holtom, Daniel W. Bliss, Kimberly Frey

Space Dynamics Laboratory Publications

We implement and experimentally demonstrate a 60 GHz distributed system leveraging an optical time synchronization system that provides precise time and frequency alignment between independent elements of the distributed mesh. Utilizing such accurate coherence, we perform receive beamforming with interference rejection and transmit nulling. In these configurations, the system achieves a coherent gain over an incoherent network of N nodes, significantly improving the relevant signal power ratios. Our system demonstrates extended array phase coherence times, enabling advanced techniques. Results from over-the-air experiments demonstrate a 14.3 dB signal-to-interference-plus-noise improvement in interference-laden scenarios with a contributing 13.5 dB null towards interference in …

Uinta Basin Snow Shadow: Impact Of Snow-Depth Variation On Winter Ozone Formation, Michael J. Davies, John R. Lawson, Trevor O’Neil, Seth N. Lyman, Karlee Zager, Tristan D. Coxson

Bingham Research Center

After heavy snowfall in the Uinta Basin, Utah, elevated surface ozone occurs if a cold-air pool persists and traps emissions from oil and gas industry operations. Sunlight and actinic flux from a high-albedo snowpack drive ozone buildup via photolysis. Snow coverage is paramount in initiating the cold pool and driving ozone generation. Its depth is critical for predicting ozone concentrations. The Basin’s location leeward of the Wasatch Mountains provides conditions for a precipitation shadow, where sinking air suppresses snowfall. We analyzed multiple years of ground-based snow depth measurements, surface ozone data, and meteorological observations; we found that ozone levels track …

Epidemiological-Based Study Of Sars-Cov-2 In Faisalabad, Sana Ullah, Muhammad Waseem Khan, Qurat-Ul- Ain, Khushbu Farva, Niaz Muhammad Khan, Hayat Ullah

Biological Engineering Student Research

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) raced around the world across different populations; there needs to be a consolidated effort to understand the divergence of the epidemiology of SARS-CoV-2. Population-based epidemiological characteristics studies measure the extent of SARS-CoV-2 infection in a country. The current research study was designed to report epidemiological data from Pakistan. For this purpose, 246 SARS-CoV-2-infected patients were included in the study. For SARS-CoV-2 confirmation, viral samples were collected from all the study participants; SARS-CoV-2 infection was confirmed by viral nucleic acid detection using a nucleic acid detection kit. After SARS-CoV-2 confirmation, all the study participants …

Large-Scale Flood Detection And Mapping In The Yangtze River Basin (2016–2021) Using Convolutional Neural Networks With Sentinel-1 Sar Images, Xuan Wu, Zhijie Zhang, Wanchang Zhang, Bangsheng An, Zhenghao Li, Rui Li, Qunli Chen

Environment and Society Faculty Publications

Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) technology offers unparalleled advantages by delivering high-quality images under all-weather conditions, enabling effective flood monitoring. This capability provides massive remote sensing data for flood mapping, while recent rapid advances in deep learning (DL) offer methodologies for large-scale flood mapping. However, the full potential of deep learning in large-scale flood monitoring utilizing remote sensing data remains largely untapped, necessitating further exploration of both data and methodologies. This paper presents an innovative approach that harnesses convolutional neural networks (CNNs) with Sentinel-1 SAR images for large-scale inundation detection and dynamic flood monitoring in the Yangtze River Basin (YRB). An …

A Ka Band High Data Rate Transmitter For Leo Satellites Design And System Simulation, Jean-Hervé Corre, Ronan Foubert, Thomas Dehaene, Hugo Hartmann, Yann Prigent, Bertrand Lechevalier

Small Satellite Conference

This paper addresses the design of a high-throughput Ka-band transmitter for LEO satellites. This article particularly focuses on RF and microwave subsystems and system simulation.

The purpose of this transmitter (named KaLLISTO) is to operate the downlink from a LEO satellite to a ground station. High data rates are required to meet the expressed demand from satellite operators to enable much more data volume downlink. The equipment is the latest state-of-the-art qualified COTS based design. This design is perfectly adapted to New-Space programs, where cost effectiveness, performance and reliability are key factors. The allocated band goes from 25.5 to 27GHz …

Stari: Starlight Acquisition And Reflection Toward Interferometry, John D. Monnier, James Cutler, Michael Meyer, Caden Burkhardt, Akshat Dubey, Jacob Klingler, Raven St. Clair, Shivani Sunil, Daniil Voloshin, Leonid Pogorelyuk, Melissa Flores, Albert Ostoja-Starzewski, Simone D'Amico, Ethan Foss, Prachet Jain, Antonio Rizza, E. Glenn Lightsey, Althea Noonan, Kerri Cahoy, Gautam Vasisht

Small Satellite Conference

We introduce the NASA-funded mission STARI (STarlight Acquisition and Reflection toward Interferometry). We plan to demonstrate the first transfer of starlight between two separate spacecraft, a key technology step towards long-baseline interferometry. Consisting of two propulsive 6U CubeSats flying in Low Earth Orbit separated by ∼100 meters, STARI will reflect a small beam of starlight from the Chief spacecraft toward the Deputy spacecraft, where the light will be collected by an off-axis parabola and focused into a single-mode fiber. With the use of differential Global Positioning System (GPS), visual LED beacons and fast-steering-mirrors (FSMs), we aim for continuous high-throughput fiber …

Spacecraft-Initiated Scheduling Of Ground Stations: On-Orbit Results From Techedsat-11, Adam Gannon, Timothy Recker, Lucas Shalkhauser, Rachel Dudukovich, Janette Briones, Alejandro Salas, Malachi Mooney-Rivkin, Marcus Murbach

Small Satellite Conference

The commonplace practice of manually scheduling communications is challenged by complex and often unpredictable data needs of modern spacecraft. Automation has clear benefits to improve timeliness and efficiency of space communications. In this work we describe and experimentally demonstrate a suite of software which automates the process of scheduling contacts for satellite communications. Service is scheduled based on a spacecraft’s needs and contacts execute automatically without a human in the loop. Requests for service originate onboard the spacecraft, traverse a low-rate control channel to reach a terrestrial server, and are fulfilled by ground station assets. This work describes an experiment …

Augmenting Attitude Knowledge For Optical Communication Terminals On Cubesats By Kalman Filter Based Estimation, Elisa Garbagnati, René Rüddenklau, Chrisopher Schmidt

Small Satellite Conference

Given the growing demand for high data rate transmission on small satellites like CubeSats, free-space optical communication terminals have recently attracted an increasing interest thanks to their capability of ensuring high data rates, compact designs and low power requirements. Yet, the performances of the acquisition and pointing processes crucially depend on their attitude knowledge information. This information is currently available only if an optical link has already been established. Nevertheless, it is likewise important to accurately know the attitude during the link acquisition phase to shorten the search time until the opposing target is found. This aspect is equally relevant …

Tes-11 Goes Dcs Demonstration: A Novel Leo-To-Geo Communication System For Nanosatellites, Marcus S. Murbach, Beau Backus, Brett H. Bestill, David B. Kunkee, Thom Stone, Alejandro Salas, Malachi Mooney-Rivkin, Vasant Chalemcherla

Small Satellite Conference

A satellite in any low Earth orbit (LEO), with access to various geostationary Earth orbit (GEO) satellites, could have a near constant, low bandwidth, real-time link back to Earth during most of an orbit. These GEO satellites could include the two GOES, steadily refreshed since 1974, the European Space Agency (ESA) Meteosat, and the Japanese Space agencies (JAXA) Himawari satellite. These satellites implement the GOES Data Collection System (DCS), or analog, with applications which include meteorology, oceanography, hydrology, ecology, and remote sensing of Earth resources. The relatively compact DCS ground stations used by thousands of researchers transmit data at 100, …

Flight Demonstration Of A Next-Generation Uhf Telecommand Card With Cognitive Clear Channel Assessment For Cubesat Missions, Dhruva Anantha Datta, Pratik Aher, Srinidhi Gonahal, Immanuel Raja, Priyadarshan Hari

Small Satellite Conference

We present a developmental in-orbit demonstration of a TRL-9 UHF telecommand card, flown as a technology demonstrator payload on the fourth and final stage of the PSLV-C60/SPADEX Mission by ISRO. The card is an in-house developed RF PCB utilizing the ADF7030-1 transceiver from Analog Devices, marking the first flight of a new generation of sub-GHz modules with on-chip GFSK modulation and AX.25 packetization, widely used in CubeSat communications. Design and Implementation discussion of the UHF card is discussed, the design philosophy and various debugging techniques employed in the RF PCB development are discussed. The card integrates a digital SPI interface, …

A Torrent-Inspired Large File Transfer System For Small Satellite Swarms, Caleb Adams, Michael Iatauro, Brian Kempa, Sergei Gridnev, Pavlo Vlastos, Caroline Lassiter

Small Satellite Conference

The increasing complexity and coordination requirements of multi-spacecraft missions, distributed space systems, and small satellite swarms necessitate efficient and scalable data transfer mechanisms. Inspired by peer-to-peer file sharing protocols, we present a novel large file transfer (LFT) system designed for NASA’s Core Flight Software (cFS) framework. The LFT system was tested on NASA’s Starling mission, a multi-cubesat swarm with S-Band cross-link capabilities and a mesh network topology. Our system leverages the Better Approach to Mobile Ad-hoc Networking (BATMAN) routing protocol and the Data Distribution Service (DDS) standard to enable seamless communication among swarm members. The LFT system features two primary …

Angel: An Architecture For Simplified Ai/Ml Implementation On Low-Power Fpgas For Small Satellites, Shawn Jones, Benjamin Lewis, Jonathan Phillips, Charles Swenson, Kade Howes, Justin Hulme

Small Satellite Conference

Utah State University has been developing a complier to ease burden of implementing artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) algorithms to FPGAs for both low-power and accelerated computation purposes. This system called “Architecture and Network Generalization for Edge computing and Low-power applications” (ANGEL) is aimed at the problem of the growing volume of data collected by small satellites, combined with the increasing interest in AI/ML algorithms to process this data onboard. Executing modern AI/ML algorithms onboard small satellites in GPUs or CPUs demands significant power—often stretching the capabilities of small satellite platforms. FPGAs, particularly the MicroSemi Polar Fire series, …

Optical Inter-Satellite Link Demonstration On Cubesats - Update On The Cubeisl-Iod Mission, Benjamin Rödiger, Jorge Rosano Nonay, Arvind Kumar Balan, Alberto Rodríguez Pérez-Silva, José Franciso Briz Valero, Cristóbal Nieto Peroy

Small Satellite Conference

Free-space optical communication has become a mature technology to extend and replace classical radio channels for data transmission from satellites to the Earth. The advantages of high data throughputs, resilience against electromagnetic disturbances and its robustness against jamming spoofing and eavesdropping makes laser communication attractive for governmental, defense authorities and commercial users. To enable global connectivity and interoperability beyond the line of sight, inter-satellite links are required and therefore terminals with high data rates are necessary to avoid communication bottlenecks. Size weight and power limitations on spacecraft demand highly efficient and miniaturized payloads, especially for use cases on smallest satellites. …

Deployable Diffractive Optical Elements For Small Satellite Lidar Missions, Adam Bahlous-Boldi, Leila Freitag, Amber Cooper, Mary Dahl, Afreen Siddiqi, John Leckey, Kerri Cahoy

Small Satellite Conference

SPECIES (Smart Polyimide Expandable Collector to enable Investigations for Earth Science) is a NASA Earth Science Technology Office (ESTO) project that explores the use of a deployable diffractive optical element (DOE) in a space-based lidar instrument for a 12–24U CubeSat operating in low Earth orbit (LEO). The DOE, a 0.6-meter hybrid multi-level Fresnel zone plate, is made using a tessellation of hexagonal molds, each with a unique number of diffractive levels. It is stowed for launch and deployed on orbit using a 3 meter long extendible boom, which positions the optic at the correct distance from the spacecraft, while guy …

Dream Big: A Novel, Flexible And Robust ½U Thinsat Constellation Solution, Dillon Embry, Alex Reno, Thomas Foltz, Jasmin Consales, Matt Orvis, John Pugsley, Matthew C. Voss, Jeff Dailey, Hank Voss

Small Satellite Conference

The Dream Big project is a joint initiative between NearSpace Launch (NSL) and NearSpace Education (NSE), combining commercial satellite development with hands-on educational outreach. Focused on advanced manufacturing and space entrepreneurship, the program engages university teams in designing, building, and integrating custom payloads into a novel ½U ThinSat bus. Over the past year, six Midwestern universities completed Phase 1, culminating in the development of six student-built payloads integrated into the NSL bus scheduled for launch in late 2025 or early 2026.

In addition to satellite development, teams conducted high-altitude balloon flights to validate hardware and promote STEM engagement in their …

Dream Big: A Novel, Flexible And Robust ½U Thinsat Constellation Solution, Dillon Embry, Alex Reno, Thomas Foltz, Jasmin Consales, Matt Orvis, John Pugsley, Matthew C. Voss, Jeff Dailey, Hank Voss

Small Satellite Conference

The Dream Big project is a joint initiative between NearSpace Launch (NSL) and NearSpace Education (NSE), combining commercial satellite development with hands-on educational outreach. Focused on advanced manufacturing and space entrepreneurship, the program engages university teams in designing, building, and integrating custom payloads into a novel ½U ThinSat bus. Over the past year, six Midwestern universities completed Phase 1, culminating in the development of six student-built payloads integrated into the NSL bus scheduled for launch in late 2025 or early 2026.

In addition to satellite development, teams conducted high-altitude balloon flights to validate hardware and promote STEM engagement in their …

Pulse-A Mission Overview: Optical Communications For Undergraduate Students, Logan Hanssler, Seth Knights, Graydon Schulze-Kalt, Juan Ignacio Prieto Asbun, Robert Pitu, Lauren Ayala, Rohan Gupta, Vincent Redwine, Spencer Shelton, Catherine Todd, Maya Mcdaniel, Sofia Mansilla, John Baird, Mason Mccormack, Leah Vashevko, Tian Zhong, Michael Lembeck

Small Satellite Conference

Recent advances in the size, weight, and power (SWaP) requirements for space-based sensing have dramatically increased the demand for high-bandwidth downlink. However, high data rate RF transceivers still pose significant SWaP and cost restrictions, especially for university-class CubeSat missions. Optical communication may provide a solution to this challenge, enabling data transmission with order-of-magnitude rate increases over RF while being both secure and SWaP-efficient. The Polarization-modUlated Laser Satellite Experiment (PULSE-A) is a University of Chicago mission to demonstrate optical downlink at a data rate of up to 10 Mbps using circular polarization shift keying (CPolSK). PULSE-A comprises a <1.5U Optical Transmission Terminal, 3U CubeSat Bus, Optical Ground Station (OGS) employing an amateur telescope, and RF Ground Station (RFGS), all of which are being designed and integrated by a team of over 60 undergraduate students. The mission objective is threefold: (1) to provide hands-on educational experiences for undergraduate students, (2) to make hardware for optical communication systems more accessible via open-source design, and (3) to explore the viability and potential advantages of using CPolSK for optical downlink.

PULSE-A serves an …

Pulse-A Mission Overview: Optical Communications For Undergraduate Students, Logan Hanssler, Seth Knights, Graydon Schulze-Kalt, Juan Ignacio Prieto Asbun, Robert Pitu, Lauren Ayala, Rohan Gupta, Vincent Redwine, Spencer Shelton, Catherine Todd, Maya Mcdaniel, Sofia Mansilla, John Baird, Mason Mccormack, Leah Vashevko, Tian Zhong, Michael Lembeck

Small Satellite Conference

Recent advances in the size, weight, and power (SWaP) requirements for space-based sensing have dramatically increased the demand for high-bandwidth downlink. However, high data rate RF transceivers still pose significant SWaP and cost restrictions, especially for university-class CubeSat missions. Optical communication may provide a solution to this challenge, enabling data transmission with order-of-magnitude rate increases over RF while being both secure and SWaP-efficient. The Polarization-modUlated Laser Satellite Experiment (PULSE-A) is a University of Chicago mission to demonstrate optical downlink at a data rate of up to 10 Mbps using circular polarization shift keying (CPolSK). PULSE-A comprises a < 1.5U Optical Transmission Terminal, 3U CubeSat Bus, Optical Ground Station (OGS) employing an amateur telescope, and RF Ground Station (RFGS), all of which are being designed and integrated by a team of over 60 undergraduate students. The mission objective is threefold: (1) to provide hands-on educational experiences for undergraduate students, (2) to make hardware for optical communication systems more accessible via open-source design, and (3) to explore the viability and potential advantages of using CPolSK for optical downlink.

PULSE-A serves an …

A Proposed Process To Define And Collect Project Information For Cost Estimation Of Cubesat Platforms, Ana Carolina Di Iorio Jeronymo, Lidia Hissae Shibuya Sato, Renan Guilherme Soares Menezes, Felipe Oliveira Tavares, Maria Eduarda Mora Camino-Priante, Luís Eduardo Vergueiro Loures Da Costa

Small Satellite Conference

Cost estimation is a key element in the planning and execution of CubeSat mission, as it helps ensure that resources are used efficiently and that mission objectives remain aligned with technical and operational constraints. A solid technical baseline - one that clearly describes the system’s characteristics - is essential for developing reliable cost estimates and for establishing a shared understanding of the project among stakeholders. This paper presents the cost estimation process used at the ITA Space Center for CubeSat platforms. The method follows a structured, eight-step approach adapted from NASA and ESA standards. The steps begin with receiving the …

A Proposed Process To Define And Collect Project Information For Cost Estimation Of Cubesat Platforms, Ana Carolina Di Iorio Jeronymo, Lidia Hissae Shibuya Sato, Renan Guilherme Soares Menezes, Felipe Oliveira Tavares, Maria Eduarda Mora Camino-Priante, Luís Eduardo Vergueiro Loures Da Costa

Small Satellite Conference

Cost estimation is a key element in the planning and execution of CubeSat mission, as it helps ensure that resources are used efficiently and that mission objectives remain aligned with technical and operational constraints. A solid technical baseline - one that clearly describes the system’s characteristics - is essential for developing reliable cost estimates and for establishing a shared understanding of the project among stakeholders. This paper presents the cost estimation process used at the ITA Space Center for CubeSat platforms. The method follows a structured, eight-step approach adapted from NASA and ESA standards. The steps begin with receiving the …

Novel Solutions For Cubecat Attitude Determination And Control Systems Using Pcb Magnetorquers And Low Power Control Solutions, Weston Willardson, Eero Ward, Harrison Thomas, Michael Evans, Michael Williams, Sarahi Oretga-Duran, W. Seth Nelson, David Long

Small Satellite Conference

Satellite attitude determination and control systems (ADCS) can be large, heavy, and expensive relative to a CubeSat’s size, weight, and cost requirements. We have developed a compact, low-mass, inexpensive ADCS prototype suitable for a student-class 1U CubeSat. We utilize three enabling technologies to reduce size, weight, and power (SWaP): 3-axis low-profile printed circuit board (PCB) magnetorquers, a basic sensor package, and computationally efficient control. The PCB magnetorquers are mounted on the exterior of the CubeSat frame to conserve internal volume for spacecraft electronics and payload. Attitude is determined by infrared horizon sensors and a magnetometer. The control algorithms utilize computer …

Development Of A Tool For Planning Fuel-Optimized Collision Avoidance Maneuvers, Saksham Jain

Small Satellite Conference

The need for collision avoidance maneuvers is expected to rise due to growing congestion in low-Earth orbit. This paper presents the development of a tool to automate the generation of collision avoidance maneuvers in response to conjunction events. The tool presented has allowed the Space Flight Laboratory (SFL) to eliminate concerns associated with human error, while concurrently addressing the expected increase in the need for these maneuvers without needing to impose any additional burden on flight dynamics engineers. The automation of this task has reduced the hands-on time required by over 80% when compared to the pre-existing workflow.

If the …

Hardware In The Loop Simulation For Commercial Off The Shelf Sensor Qualification In Small Satellite Rendezvous And Proximity Operations, Esme Kovács, Bartłomiej Koszek

Small Satellite Conference

This paper presents a hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) simulation framework designed for the rapid evaluation and qualification of commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) sensors in small satellite Rendezvous and Proximity Operations (RPO). The proposed system supports 2U to 6U CubeSat platforms and enables subsystem-level testing by integrating a real-time mechanical simulator with a software-defined dynamic environment. The setup replicates target satellite motion using a custom 3-DOF rig driven by stepper motors and supports configurable sensor parameters, motion profiles, and automated parameter sweeps. A Microsoft Kinect v2 sensor captures RGB, IR, and depth data, enabling multi-spectral evaluation under varied illumination and material reflectivity conditions. Preliminary …

Ibis Advanced Technology For Smallsats, Johan Leijtens, Frank Stelwagen

Small Satellite Conference

For many years, ESA has been involved in attempts to develop a commercially attractive radiation hardened true digital Sunsensor. Although both Galileo Avionica (IT) (now Leonardo) and TNO (NL) developed a sensor based on standard active pixel sensors (APS) none of these products became commercially successful. Although TNO started the development of a single chip true digital Sunsensor in 2004 and a prototype was successfully tested in 2011,^{[1] [2]} the product was neither radiation hardened nor optimized for volume production. Development of this prototype into a real sensor was however never completed.

Although both a digital output and albedo …

Cubesat-Compatible Q/V Band Phased Array Antenna Design For High-Bandwidth Mmwave Inter-Satellite Communications For Scalable Leo Satellite Constellations, Lucien Hammond, Rachel Swan

Small Satellite Conference

As instruments and payloads aboard satellites increasingly demand higher data rates to fulfill scientific objectives, the shift by industry and governments toward small satellite platforms necessitates high-performance communication systems tailored to these compact designs. With the growing use cases for multi-agent satellite constellations, particularly in Low Earth Orbit (LEO), frequency band congestion remains a critical challenge. To address this spectrum scarcity and enable adaptive, inter-satellite communication for multi-agent satellite constellations, this paper explores the design of a Q/V band patch antenna array to enable adaptive beamforming, high data rate inter-satellite communication for scalable satellite constellations. The use of millimeter wave …

Sentinelcam / Sentineltrac: Leveraging An Optical System With Dual Functionality For Space Proximity Operations, Laila Kazemi, Vincent Yim, Colin Huber, Peter Schwarz

Small Satellite Conference

The growing demand for on-orbit servicing missions such as inspection, refueling, repair, and assembly has increased the need for reliable, compact, and accurate sensing systems capable of supporting Rendezvous and Proximity Operations (RPO). This paper presents the feasibility and advantages of employing Redwire’s SentinelCAM-1 and SentinelTRAC-2 as a dual function optical system to meet the sensing and attitude determination needs of RPO missions. Both systems share a common hardware system, with SentinelCAM-1 functioning as a high-resolution flight camera and SentinelTRAC-2 serving as a star tracker for real-time spacecraft attitude estimation. The shared design enables efficient cross-cueing, simplifies sensor fusion, and …

Compact And Cost-Effective Solar Array Drive Mechanisms To Enable High-Performance Small Satellites, Benjamin Nero, Jeremy Hawke

Small Satellite Conference

To enhance spacecraft power generation, deployable solar arrays are often used to increase the surface area available for solar cells. To maximize their effectiveness, a solar array drive mechanism (SADM) can be implemented, allowing independent array rotation from the spacecraft body. This capability is particularly valuable for Earth observation and target-tracking missions, where it enables continuous power generation despite spacecraft orientation limitations. This paper presents the design, analysis, and qualification testing of two low-cost SADMs: the SolarDrive-μ for microsatellites and the SolarDrive-S for small satellites. Each SADM consists of two primary elements—the drivetrain and the twist capsule—both designed with commercial …

Roads: A Low-Cost 3u Cubesat Approach To Rendezvous, Proximity Operations, And Docking, Alexander Hickman, Ramon Blanco, Dawson Harrington, Benjamin Wilson, Pol Via Ortega, Rainer Diaz De Cerio, Ronald Fevig, Pablo De León University Of North Dakota, Mason Peck

Small Satellite Conference

The University of North Dakota’s Rendezvous & Operations for Autonomous Docking and Servicing (UND ROADS) mission will show through a flight demo that Rendezvous, Proximity Operations, and Docking (RPOD) can be accomplished by two 3U CubeSats at orders-of-magnitude lower cost and complexity than today’s benchmark missions. Instead of cameras or LiDAR, ROADS employs an inter-satellite RF link combined with carrier-phase differential GNSS (CDGNSS) to deliver centimeter-level relative navigation entirely onboard, eliminating reliance on continuous ground contact, ground processing or complex on-board sensor packages. Coupling this sensing architecture with an innovative re-configurable magnetic docking system and predictive Guidance, Navigation and Control …

Mitigation Strategies For Pattern Mismatching In Star Trackers, Melanie Phillips

Small Satellite Conference

Star tracker mismatching, although infrequent, can be detrimental to satellite operation and becomes more likely with worsened conditions including high slew rates, radiation, and stray light. Rocket Lab’s ST-16 Star Trackers use several methods to test for match validity; however, in general, there are trade-offs between matching robustness and hardware performance, and it is impractical to entirely remove the possibility of false positive returns.

To understand the types of scenarios where false positives occur, a review of existing datasets from the ST-16 was completed, and false positives were identified. The likelihood of false positive matching grows exceedingly rare as the …