Digital Commons Network^™

Concluding Cysat-1: A Look At The Final Challenges Faced By Iowa State University's First Cubesat, John Elias, Inés Ahedo García, Sydney Schultz, Matthew Nelson

Small Satellite Conference

This paper discusses an overview of the CySat-1 mission, actions taken between its launch and deployment from the ISS, and issues identified in design that impacted the spacecraft’s performance until its re-entry in early January of 2025. The CySat-1 mission was the demonstration of a software-defined radio (SDR) total power radiometer to survey soil moisture. The successful demonstration of the SDR radiometer would have provided basis for future implementation by the SmallSat community by providing an easily customizable radiometer with increased performance versatility. The CySat-1 mission is part of Iowa State University’s (ISU) Make to Innovate (M2I) program, which is …

Sailing To The Stars: Free-Flying Light Sails In Microgravity, Verena Padres, Dionna Parina, Parishee Bajaj, Shashank Chalamalasetty, Cameron Goddard, Gabriella Elcsics-Gonzáles, Joshua Umansky-Castro, Claire Kim, Ethan Francolla, Mason Peck, Andrew Filo, Alex Burke

Small Satellite Conference

Sailing to the Stars is a mission led by students at Cornell University that will use the International Space Station (ISS) to gather data related to the deployment of free-flying light sails in microgravity. As this light sail architecture is relatively new, additional information on how the sail deploys and the optimal deployment system is desired. This information is relevant for guiding the design of future missions that use this technology. For this experiment, astronauts shall deploy six light sails from two different CubeSat-scale deployer designs within the ISS. Video footage and IMU data will be recorded throughout the experiment, …

Tbearr - Tardigrade Bio-Exploration Reproduction Research Satellite, Natalie Brattain, Kylie Nager, Joshua T. Lozano, Matas Ubartas, Chloe Nissen

Small Satellite Conference

The mission aims to launch four separate cultures of tardigrades aboard a 3U CubeSat to Low Earth Orbit to study the effects of UV and cosmic radiation on their genetics and cell composition, which may, in turn, affect their reproduction cycle.

• tBEARR is a 3U CubeSat mission under development by the Embry-Riddle Orbital Research Association (ERORA), an undergraduate research club at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, FL.

• Critical life support systems will be developed to maintain tardigrade viability as orbital experiments are being conducted.

• Tardigrades, in their cryptobiotic state, will be exposed to space radiation and …

Testing, Verification, And Qualification Of A Self-Developed Pcdu For The Student-Built Cubesat Source, Jan Freyhardt, Silas Neumann, Kevin Waizenegger, Daniel Galla, Sabine Klinkner

Small Satellite Conference

Poster presented during the 2025 SmallSat Conference.

Toward Trusted Onboard Ai: Advancing Small Satellite Operations Using Reinforcement Learning, Cannon Whitney, Joseph Melville

Small Satellite Conference

A Reinforcement Learning (RL) algorithm was developed for command automation onboard a 3U CubeSat. This effort focused on the implementation of macro Control Action Reinforcement Learning (CARL), a technique in which an onboard agent is provided with compiled information based on live telemetry as its observation. The agent uses this information to produce high-level actions, such as adjusting attitude to solar pointing, which are then translated into control algorithms and executed through lower-level instructions. Once trust in the onboard agent is established, real-time environmental information can be leveraged for faster response times and reduced reliance on ground control. The approach …

Twistr: A Scalable, Low-Cost Microsatellite Rotation Device For Spacecraft Assembly Integration And Testing, Alex Leaf, Suraj Sridharan, Simon Grocott, Robert E. Zee

Small Satellite Conference

Increased industry demand for microsatellite missions calls for aggressive project timelines without sacrificing intricate development practices. Delivering missions at a faster pace relies strongly on both assembly processes, and ground support equipment, used through mission development cycles. Procedural challenges often arise in positioning larger spacecraft within the laboratory environment for various testing campaigns. Deployable mechanism, vibration, thermal vacuum, and electromagnetic compatibility testing often require spacecraft to be held under multiple orientations. Dual-axis rotation devices offer a means to position spacecraft in any orientation, proving a versatile spacecraft assembly, integration, and testing platform.

The development of a low-cost dual-axis rotation device …

A High-Sensitivity, Low-Power Magneto-Inductive Magnetometer For Space-Based Magnetic Field Measurements And Noise Mitigation, Rowan Antonuccio, Kade Howes, Josh Taylor, Charles Swenson

Small Satellite Conference

This paper presents a discrete-component, magneto-inductive (MI) magnetometer designed for CubeSat-class spacecraft. The sensor operates using an RL relaxation oscillator with FPGA-based pulse counting, achieving picotesla-scale resolution at 1 Hz with 25 mW power consumption. To minimize electromagnetic interference and maintain orthogonality, the sensing coils are housed in a rigid, boom-mounted enclosure constructed from non-magnetic materials. This architecture enhances measurement fidelity and supports in-orbit reconfiguration, offering a low-power research platform suitable for high-resolution magnetic field sensing.

Code Reuse In Cubesat Projects: Analyzing The Adoption Of Open-Source Software From The Birds Program, Husseinat Etti-Balogun, Victor Schulz, Mengu Cho

Small Satellite Conference

Code reuse is a fundamental principle in software engineering, streamlining development processes and reducing costs. In the context of CubeSat development, open-source software frameworks, such as the Open-Source BIRDS CubeSat (OSBC) software, have the potential to enhance collaboration and accelerate mission deployment. However, the ex- tent to which CubeSat teams adopt and adapt these existing software solutions remains underexplored.

This study examines six CubeSat missions derived from the BIRDS satellite bus, assessing their software development strategies and the degree of code reuse from OSBC. By analyzing project documentation, source code repositories, and developer interviews, we investigate key factors influencing software …

Detumbling Analysis And Attitude Stabilization Of Spicesat: A Closed-Loop Control Verification Framework, Spencer Talish, Francesca Fusco

Small Satellite Conference

This study investigates the detumbling capabilities of SPICEsat following an initial angular disturbance imparted by the deployer. SPICEsat, which stands for Sloshing Platform for In Orbit Controller Experimentation, is a 6U CubeSat developed by Rutgers University to investigate the effects of fuel sloshing on spacecraft stability and control. Top level, this research’s objective is to confirm SPICEsat's ability to reduce angular momentum, thereby achieving a stabilized post-deployment attitude. This is referred to as detumbling, or the process of reducing a satellite’s rotational rates following deployment. The system-level focus centers on assessing the control authority of the Blue Canyon Technologies (BCT) …

Developing A Model-Based Systems Engineering Methodology For Academic Cubesat Missions, Piper L. Kline

Small Satellite Conference

Cube Satellites (CubeSats) have become increasingly popular, particularly in academic settings, due to their affordability, rapid development timelines, and utility as platforms for student training and experimental payloads. Despite these advantages, CubeSat development presents several challenges, including limited resources such as personnel, funding, and time, as well as difficulties in maintaining comprehensive documentation and managing requirements. Student-led projects face additional obstacles, such as inexperienced team members and high turnover rates, which can result in inadequate passing of knowledge. Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) has emerged as a promising approach to address these challenges and improve the efficiency of CubeSat design and …

Development Of A Compact Optical Communications Terminal For The Pulse-A Cubesat, Sofia Mansilla, Seth Knights, Natalie Orrantia, Maya Mcdaniel, Daniel Lee, Oliver Shoemaker, Aidan Etterer, Aishani Mohan, Chris Wong, Juan Ignacio Prieto Asbun, Robert Pitu, Logan Hanssler, Annie Shuford, Eliana Schiller, Kira Chin, Graydon Schulze-Kalt, Danielle Zumi Riekse, Mira Singh, Alexandra Yao, Vicky Bardon Soto, Natalie Sauer, Vidya Suri, Tian Zhong

Small Satellite Conference

The Polarization-modUlated Laser Satellite Experiment (PULSE-A) at the University of Chicago aims to demonstrate the feasibility of circular polarization shift keyed (CPolSK) satellite-to-ground laser communication links. The project aims to advance high-speed optical satellite-to-ground communications as an alternative to the traditionally used radio frequencies. PULSE-A thus requires the development of a compact, low-loss optical communications terminal capable of emitting collimated and high-power circularly polarized light modulated at high frequencies. Here we present a design for an optical communications terminal capable of achieving output powers of up to 230 mW at modulation frequencies from 1 to 10 MHz with a maximum …

Development Of An Open-Source Spacecraft Bus For The Pulse-A Cubesat, Graydon Schulze-Kalt, Robert Pitu, Spencer Shelton, Catherine Todd, Zane Ebel, Ian Goldberg, Leon Gold, Henry Czarnecki, Mason Mccormack, Larry Li, Zumi Riekse, Brian Yu, Akash Piya, Vidya Suri, Dylan Hu, Colleen Kim, John Baird, Seth Knights, Logan Hanssler, Tian Zhong, Michael F. Lembeck

Small Satellite Conference

The undergraduate-led Polarization-modUlated Laser Satellite Experiment (PULSE-A) at the University of Chicago seeks to demonstrate the feasibility of circular polarization shift keyed satellite-to-ground laser communication. Free-space optical communications offer significantly improved data rates and lower power requirements than radio frequency communications for a similar form factor, which makes optical communications of particular interest for future satellite missions as on-orbit data collection rates increase. PULSE-A’s low-cost open-source bus serves as the backbone of the mission and has been designed in tandem with the Payload, with design driven by strict requirements for pointing accuracy, component alignment, power demand, and thermal stability. This …

Development Of Mechanical Ground Support Equipment For Small Satellite Thermal Vacuum Testing, Vincent Côté-Larouche

Small Satellite Conference

Small satellite thermal vacuum tests involve securely mounting a spacecraft in a chamber, providing a representative thermal environment in the absence of convection. This study investigates the design of mechanical ground support equipment for supporting a range of spacecraft masses, from cubesats to ESPA-Grande class satellites of up to 500 kg, inside an existing thermal vacuum chamber. A system of four pieces of equipment is proposed to facilitate thermal vacuum testing, while keeping in mind various considerations such as the laboratory cleanroom environment, available floor space, the load capacity of the chamber rails, the thermal vacuum environment and the human …

Preliminary Results For Collision Probability Predicted Using Gnss Ephemeris From Cubesats, Weichih Lin, Binson Shih-Pin Lee, Loren Chang

Small Satellite Conference

According to an ESA research report, there are now more than one million pieces of space debris larger than one centimeter in low Earth orbit (LEO) [1]. Conjunction assessment (CA) has been drawing attention in various fields. This study proposes leveraging space borne Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) data, including raw pseudorange measurements, to obtain the satellite state vector and covariance for SmallSats or CubeSats. The proposed approach offers the advantage of enabling autonomous CA risk evaluations, while mitigating measurement uncertainties typically associated with ground-based radar systems. Real-time satellite state enables more accurate predictions of future collision probabilities. The COSMIC-2 …

Spacenet Testbed – Small Satellite Constellation Network Emulation Of Real-World Scenarios, Suryansh Aryan, Jack Downs, Alexander Kedrowitsch, Josh Smith, Alexa Houck, Samantha P. Kenyon

Small Satellite Conference

Poster presented during the 2025 SmallSat Conference.

Automated Pointing Budget And Reaction Wheel Sizing Tool For Cubesat Attitude Control With Iterative Sensitivity Analysis, Logan Thompson, Matthew Devor, Michael Harrigan, Victoria Coverstone

Small Satellite Conference

Reaction wheels are a widely used solution for CubeSat attitude control, offering precise pointing capabilities without the need for a propulsion system. However, sizing reaction wheels correctly is a persistent challenge due to the difficulty of accurately defining the pointing budget, which determines the required torque and momentum storage capacity. Designers must account for mission-specific constraints, spacecraft mass properties, and environmental disturbances, all of which introduce uncertainty into the sizing process. As a result, reaction wheels are often either oversized, leading to unnecessary mass and power consumption, or undersized, risking performance failures such as saturation. To address this challenge, a …

Conceptual Design Of A Low Orbit Dust Detector Powder, Matheus De Carvalho Abelha, Felipe Oliveira Tavares, Marco Antonio Ridenti, Luís Eduardo Vergueiro Loures Da Costa

Small Satellite Conference

The Pulse Observation OWing to Dust impact ExpeRiment (POWDER) instrument is a conceptual lunar orbital dust detector designed to measure and analyze dust impacts at a lunar polar orbit. POWDER operates by detecting electric charges generated during dust collisions on a designated collector surface. This study is focused on analyzing the design feasibility for a collecting surface plate, in terms of generated voltage signal from dust impact in comparison to the base ambient noise level. The low amplitude of the voltage signal presents significant challenges, as measuring such a faint signal requires …

Contentcube: 1u Cubesat Mission Testing External Display Screens In Orbit, G. Plourde, J. Effenberger, M. Esser, N. Hernandez

Small Satellite Conference

Poster presented during the 2025 SmallSat Conference.

Cots Implementation Of Magnetorquer-Only Cubesat Spin Stabilization, Joshua Umansky-Castro, Deemo Chen, Om Deshmukh, Haonan Gong, Nicholas Natsoulas, Mason Peck, Andrew Filo, Alex Burke

Small Satellite Conference

This paper presents the implementation of CubeSat attitude control algorithms on commercial off the shelf (COTS) hardware. Cornell’s Alpha CubeSat seeks to spin-stabilize using only magnetorquer outputs and IMU inputs. Extensive software development and testing is carried out to overcome these hardware limitations. This paper shares tools, techniques, and niche considerations when bringing the control algorithm from simulation to hardware-in-the-loop (HITL) testing with embedded flight software. In-depth approaches for magnetometer filtering are discussed, along with software implementation decisions for safe mission operations.

Developing A Full System Thermal Analysis Of A Cubesat To Design A Low-Cost Battery Heater System, Owen Nesbit, Sydney Whilden, Deepak R. Mishra

Small Satellite Conference

The Mission for Education and Multimedia Engagement Satellite (MEMESat-1) is a low-budget 2U CubeSat under development by the University of Georgia Small Satellite Research Laboratory. Once launched into LEO, the CubeSat will serve as an FM repeater for the Ham Radio community and will uplink and downlink donor-submitted images.

To verify that all MemeSAT-1 electrical components remain within their operational temperature limits throughout its lifetime, a system-level thermal analysis is performed using C&R Technology’s Thermal Desktop. This software allows for the satellite to be subjected to LEO temperatures and solar radiation, accurately simulating the amount …

Attitude Control Of A Cubesat For The Lunar Navigation Satellite System (Lnss) Using Thrusters And Reaction Wheels, Hyung-Goo Lim, Hyewon Park, O-Jong Kim

Small Satellite Conference

Poster presented during the 2025 SmallSat Conference.

Conceptual Design Of An Integrated Small Satellite Environmental Testing Platform: Addressing Subsystem Integration Challenges, Benjamin Ochs, Michael Harrigan, Victoria Coverstone

Small Satellite Conference

Environmental testing for small satellites often relies on separate systems to simulate space conditions, resulting in inefficiencies, increased operating costs, and challenges in accurately modeling the complex environment. This paper presents the conceptual design of an integrated testing platform that combines thermal, vacuum, solar, magnetic, navigation, and attitude control simulations into a single piece of hardware to provide reliable mission assurance. The design emphasizes the modifications required to overcome unique interactions between subsystems, enabling simultaneous, realistic environmental qualification of small satellites while reducing cost and complexity.

The fully integrated environmental testing system incorporates a thermal vacuum chamber (TVAC) with an …

Cubesat Dr3am: A 4u Demonstrative Robust 3d Additive Manufacturing System, Spencer Stowell, Casey Gooch, Taylor Anderton

Small Satellite Conference

Poster presented during the 2025 SmallSat Conference.

Development Of A Polarization-Based Optical Communications Ground Station For The Pulse-A Cubesat, Juan Ignacio Prieto Asbun, Leah Vashevko, Mason Mccormack, Rodrigo Spinola E Castro, Ashley Ashiku, Joshua Johnson, Elizabeth Rosario, Kevin Zamudio, Sasha Malysheva, Nusret Efe Ucer, Qihong Wu, Sofia Mansilla, Seth Knights, Logan Hanssler, Mohammad Hassan, Sofia Cavallione, Nguyen Do, Tian Zhong

Small Satellite Conference

The Polarization-modUlated Laser Satellite Experiment (PULSE-A) is the University of Chicago’s student-led mission to demonstrate an optical downlink at a data rate of 1 to 10 Mbps using circular polarization shift keying (CPolSK). PULSE-A comprises a 3U CubeSat bus carrying a < 1.5U optical transmission terminal and a dual optical-RF ground station. The ground station (GS) system consists of the optical ground station (OGS) and the RF ground station (RFGS). The RFGS is responsible for standard communications and control tasks, while the experimental OGS receives the optical transmission from the satellite’s payload.

To perform satellite-to-ground optical communications, the OGS needs to track, receive, and decode the transmitted signal while providing its own beacon, which allows the satellite to track the OGS. These requirements are accomplished by four assemblies within the OGS: tracking, polarization state preparation, signal decoding, and beacon. The tracking assembly collects, condenses, and collimates incoming laser light from the …

Development Of A Scalable Electrical And Mechanical Backplane For The Guaranisat-2 Cubesat Mission, Edgar Elias Ramirez Sosa

Small Satellite Conference

This paper presents the design, development, and validation of a custom backplane interface board for GuaraniSat-2, Paraguay's second nanosatellite. GuaraniSat-2 is a 3U CubeSat developed through a collaborative effort led by the Paraguayan Space Agency (AEP) and SpaceLab, with the active participation of stakeholders such as the Polytechnic and Engineering Faculties of the National University of Asunción (UNA), Catholic University of Asunción (UCA), the LIESE lab at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), and Astradyne, an Italian startup spun off from the Polytechnic University of Bari (Politecnico di Bari). The backplane board functions as …

Extremely Low-Cost Optical Receiver For Extremely Low Resource Optical Identifiers, Ashin Alex, Joseph Ashby, Kevin Walker, Brennan Chai, Catherine Qualtrough, John E. Cater, Nicholas J. Rattenbury

Small Satellite Conference

Space object identification (SOI) is essential for space traffic management, situational awareness, and mission operations. The Extremely Low Resource Optical Identifier (ELROI), developed by Los Alamos National Laboratory, provides a persistent and interference-free identification method for small satellites through a self-powered optical beacon. ELROI transmits a unique identification code via low-power laser pulses, enabling ground stations to identify spaceborne assets without relying on traditional radio beacons. However, the efficacy of the ELROI system relies on the widespread availability of highly sensitive and cost-effective ground-based optical receivers. To address this need, we are developing a low-cost optical receiver capable of detecting …

In-Orbit Reprogramming Of Satellite’S Fpgas, John Cone

Small Satellite Conference

This document discusses the development of a system to reprogram an FPGA that is located on a satellite in orbit. The new image for the FPGA will be telemetered to the satellite and passed as command data to the subsystem containing the FPGA. The method for reprogramming is robust, verifies that the FPGA image was not corrupted during transmission, and does not rely on the current image or functionality of the FPGA.

Small satellites use Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) to interface with the satellite computer and other instruments such as cameras and sensors. These FPGAs are traditionally programmed on …

Robot Swarm: A Test Platform For Spacecraft Formations, Colbren Fujimoto, Scott Ginoza, Yosef Ben Gershom

Small Satellite Conference

Satellite swarms are transforming space exploration by enabling cost-effective missions and distributed onboard intelligence. Precise formation control is critical for optimized data collection, collaborative sensing, and collision avoidance. NASA’s Starling mission demonstrates how scalable, autonomous swarms enable satellites to operate as a coordinated network in low Earth orbit [1]. This research project offers a practical, cost-effective platform for testing agile swarm formation control using physical robots, enabling testing and validation of formation control algorithms and evaluating their effectiveness. This project tests Interstel’s iCOSMOS-Swarm, a software platform designed for autonomous coordination of unmanned vehicle swarms. The formation includes four robots to …

Simulation-Based Evaluation Of Dual-Mode Propulsion Strategies For Small Satellite Collision Avoidance, Michael Harrigan, Charles Cundiff, Joshua L. Rovey, Victoria Coverstone

Small Satellite Conference

As Low Earth Orbit (LEO) becomes increasingly congested, small satellite missions face growing challenges in executing effective collision avoidance maneuvers under limited time and propellant constraints. Dual-mode propulsion systems, combining high-thrust chemical and high-specific impulse electric modes, offer a promising approach to balance rapid response with propellant conservation. This paper evaluates how such systems can be applied to reduce the Probability of Collision (PC) within constrained maneuver windows using sequential chemical-electric burns.

A FreeFlyer-based simulation framework models dual-mode collision avoidance maneuvers across synthetic LEO scenarios. For each case, user-defined mission parameters, such as lead time, PC threshold, and orbital altitude, …

Utilizing Software-Defined Radio Technology In The Development And Operation Of A Backup S-Band Ground Station For The Onglaisat Cubesat, Yiyu Chang, Loran Chang, Chen-Yu Chan, Yih-Min Chen

Small Satellite Conference

The ONGLAISAT CubeSat, jointly developed by Taiwan Space Agency (TASA), the University of Tokyo, and Ark Edge Space, was launched in Q4 2024 to conduct optical remote sensing. To support downlink operations via S-band, National Central University (NCU) established a backup ground station. A complete lifecycle plan was implemented, incorporating Software Defined Radio (SDR)-based signal analysis, CCSDS-compatible telemetry visualization via WINGS, and end-to-end RF testing. Initial on-orbit signals were successfully received in Q1 2025. Doppler shift and power fluctuation analysis demonstrated system performance and operational readiness. In addition, signal comparison can serve as an alternative method for determining the satellite's …