Digital Commons Network^™

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 …

Integrating Launch Vehicles And Satellite Communications: Interstellar's Advancements With Toyota's Expertise, Keiji Atsuta

Small Satellite Conference

Interstellar Technologies, a private Japanese aerospace company, is developing a vertically integrated space infrastructure combining orbital-class launch vehicles and advanced satellite communications. Its rocket, ZERO, is a two-stage vehicle designed and manufactured entirely in Japan. To scale production, Interstellar has partnered with Woven by Toyota, applying automotive manufacturing principles to rocket production. This collaboration, backed by a ¥7 billion (~$44 million USD) investment, aims to create Japan’s first mass-producible launch platform.

In parallel, Interstellar is developing direct-to-device broadband communication satellites and has been selected for JAXA’s formation flight program, working with top universities to develop femto-satellite constellations. By integrating launch …

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, …

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, …

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, …

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 …

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 …

Improving Retention And Knowledge Continuity In University Cubesat Laboratories, Murphy Stratton

Small Satellite Conference

The Laboratory for Advanced Space Systems at Illinois (LASSI) at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) trains students from diverse engineering disciplines in CubeSat design and mission development. Despite offering hands-on experience and industry-like training, LASSI previously faced challenges retaining students, particularly after the first semester. Knowledge gaps in these students and the loss of expertise in technical areas, such as software development and electrical engineering, in graduating senior members contributed to retention losses. This paper discusses strategies implemented to address these challenges, their measurable impacts, and the lessons learned during implementation. In 2019, LASSI transitioned from a student organization …

Improving Retention And Knowledge Continuity In University Cubesat Laboratories, Murphy Stratton

Small Satellite Conference

The Laboratory for Advanced Space Systems at Illinois (LASSI) at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) trains students from diverse engineering disciplines in CubeSat design and mission development. Despite offering hands-on experience and industry-like training, LASSI previously faced challenges retaining students, particularly after the first semester. Knowledge gaps in these students and the loss of expertise in technical areas, such as software development and electrical engineering, in graduating senior members contributed to retention losses. This paper discusses strategies implemented to address these challenges, their measurable impacts, and the lessons learned during implementation. In 2019, LASSI transitioned from a student organization …

From Classroom To Orbit: How A High School Girls-In-Stem Club Started The Journey Of Pleiades Orpheus, Diya Dalal, Pooja Verma, Rhea Cherukuri

Small Satellite Conference

Students from Irvington High School in Fremont, California built and launched a 1U CubeSat satellite called Pleiades Orpheus after its establishment in 2022. This project was a central part of the Irvington High School Girls-in-STEM Club and is among the few high school student-run programs globally to design, build, and successfully launch a satellite. The Pleiades Orpheus team strived to increase gender diversity in their student body, eventually leading them to form IHS Women in Satellite Engineering (IHS WiSE) in 2024.

This paper will showcase the central goals and progress of the team, highlighting their most important goal: to make …

Novel Orbits For Resilient Launch – Enabling The Optimization Of Rideshare Options To Cislunar And Geo Destinations, Tom Gardner, Jeffrey Parker, Ethan Kayser, Alec Forsman

Small Satellite Conference

Launch and delivery access to cislunar space is a unique challenge that has received increased interest in recent years for a variety of mission applications. Beginning with the CAPSTONE mission and followed by Artemis I CubeSat rideshares, iSpace, Intuitive Machines, KARI, and CLPS landers, launches to cislunar space have increased dramatically. With launches increasing and other expected missions deploying to this valuable domain, evaluations of efficient and sustainable launch approaches are highly relevant to future operations. Launching to cislunar space utilizing the benefit of third-body perturbations from the Sun and Moon has been demonstrated by multiple missions including the ARTEMIS …

From Classroom To Orbit: How A High School Girls-In-Stem Club Started The Journey Of Pleiades Orpheus, Diya Dalal, Pooja Verma, Rhea Cherukuri

Small Satellite Conference

Students from Irvington High School in Fremont, California built and launched a 1U CubeSat satellite called Pleiades Orpheus after its establishment in 2022. This project was a central part of the Irvington High School Girls-in-STEM Club and is among the few high school student-run programs globally to design, build, and successfully launch a satellite. The Pleiades Orpheus team strived to increase gender diversity in their student body, eventually leading them to form IHS Women in Satellite Engineering (IHS WiSE) in 2024.

This paper will showcase the central goals and progress of the team, highlighting their most important goal: to make …

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 …

Next-Generation Medium Lift, Nicole Jordan, Aaron Prescott

Small Satellite Conference

Northrop Grumman and Firefly Aerospace are moving rapidly to mitigate a bottleneck in launch capacity in the medium lift segment and increase launch site diversification for government and commercial satellite customers. With existing heavy-lift vehicles often booked to capacity and small-lift vehicles limited by their mass to orbit, medium-lift vehicles provide an ideal solution for affordably delivering medium payloads to LEO and beyond.

Positioned between small-lift and heavy-lift rockets, the new Eclipse™ Medium Launch Vehicle (MLV) (Figure 1) will add significant payload mass to orbit and volume beyond the capacity of the existing Northrop Grumman Antares 230+ launch vehicle. 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 …

Small Satellite Enabled Human Capital Development Approaches For A Space Professional Cadre, Stanley O. Kennedy Jr., Brandon "Bt" Cesul

Small Satellite Conference

The rapid growth of the commercial and government space sectors has highlighted a critical shortfall in qualified talent. Addressing these gaps requires innovative educational programs that can efficiently develop human capital without extensive resources or extended classroom requirements. This paper will explore these challenges and present solutions through a focus on Small Satellite (SmallSat) resources and lessons learned from previous attempts, as well as highlighting a number of emerging programs that are quickly helping to address this growing concern.

One promising approach is the Space Force Cadet Corps Cadet Training in Space, Cyber, and Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning. This program exposes …

Small Satellite Enabled Human Capital Development Approaches For A Space Professional Cadre, Stanley O. Kennedy Jr., Brandon "Bt" Cesul

Small Satellite Conference

The rapid growth of the commercial and government space sectors has highlighted a critical shortfall in qualified talent. Addressing these gaps requires innovative educational programs that can efficiently develop human capital without extensive resources or extended classroom requirements. This paper will explore these challenges and present solutions through a focus on Small Satellite (SmallSat) resources and lessons learned from previous attempts, as well as highlighting a number of emerging programs that are quickly helping to address this growing concern.

One promising approach is the Space Force Cadet Corps Cadet Training in Space, Cyber, and Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning. This program exposes …

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 …

Development And Test Of Deep Learning Techniques For Stereo-Based Pose Estimation Of Small Satellites, Tim Heydrich, Becca Bonham-Carter, Apeksha Budhkar, Hugo Burd, Galen O'Shea, Luis Chavier, Adam Deslauriers, Alan Higginson, Sharanjit Virdi, Andrew Macdonald, Kaizad Raimalwala, Michele Faragalli

Small Satellite Conference

For in-orbit servicing, spacecraft must conduct a variety of tasks known as Rendezvous & Proximity Operations, Docking (RPOD). The ability to accurately and reliably estimate a target object’s pose is required to perform these tasks. In computer vision, deep learning techniques been shown to significantly outperform classical techniques. However, there are several barriers to adoption of such technologies in spaceflight, related to development and verification/validation processes, and constraints of the target flight hardware.

In this paper, we outline our approach and limited results from a recently completed project on the development and test of a neural network designed to allow …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

Curie Power Suite: Enabling Deep Space High-Power Cubesat Exploration, Daniele Rizzieri, Cristina Erbeia, Paride Amabili, Michele Ferrarese, Paola Celesti, Andrea Bononi, Pasquale Smoraldi, Angelo Masera Ludovica Bozzoli, Stefano Bottigliero, Federico Porrà, Emilio Fazzoletto Argotec, Pablo Hernández, Simone Simonetti

Small Satellite Conference

With the development and consolidation of new space exploration solutions, new operational scenarios are enabled, and with them new challenges arise. This paper describes the design drivers, process and achieved features of the newly developed CURIE Power Conversion and Distribution Unit (PCDU), aiming at deep-space CubeSat-operated critical missions. Born from cooperation between Argotec and the Power Electronics unit of the European Space Agency (ESA), this power unit is going to be employed on the HEliospheric pioNeer for sOlar and interplanetary threats defeNce (HENON) mission by ESA and the Italian Space Agency (ASI), aiming at demonstrating new solutions for near real-time …