Breaking The Boundaries Of Aerospace Simulations, Hil And Digital Twins, Asaf Lewin

Small Satellite Conference

Poster presented during the 2025 SmallSat Conference.

Orbital Motion Coordination Using Bio-Inspired Optical Sensing And Feedback, Arif Billah, Imraab A. Faruque

Small Satellite Conference

Summary: Multi-satellite coordinated missions can improve upon larger solitary satellite missions through greater flexibility, efficiency, scalability and redundancy. This study considers a more diverse approach to in-orbit motion coordination that reduce dependence on communication links and absolute position references. The non-linear relative equations of motion applied to a chief satellite and a deputy target in the LEO orbit are considered and a feedback control system to facilitate multi-satellite relative motion coordination is designed. The feedback controller relies on on-board optical sensor measuring optic flow signal, similar to the bio-inspired feedback-controlled systems used for various aerial operations. Performance in orbit is …

Exploring Beamed Energy Propulsion: Development And Application Of A Configurable Simulation Tool, Charles Cundiff, Michael Harrington, Victoria Coverstone, John Larosa

Small Satellite Conference

Laser sailing enables propellantless spacecraft propulsion by transferring momentum from a directed energy beam to a reflective sail. Unlike traditional chemical or electric propulsion systems, laser sails decouple propulsion performance from onboard mass and stored energy, presenting an opportunity for lightweight, scalable spacecraft maneuvering. This work develops and applies a simulation framework in FreeFlyer to evaluate the performance of laser sailing across a range of orbital missions, with emphasis on low-mass systems, such as CubeSats.

The simulation model incorporates several critical physical effects, including beam divergence, atmospheric attenuation, sail material reflectivity and emissivity, thermal loading, and realistic station visibility. The …

Impact Of Physical Interfaces And Interconnectivity On Cubesat Complexity, Development Schedule, And Cost: A Comparative Analysis Of Curtis 3u, Kitsune 6u, And Vertecs 6u, Eyoas Ergetu Areda, Rodrigo Cordova-Alarcon, Hriokazu Masui, Necmi Örger, Kei Sano, Mengu Cho, Takao Nakagawa

Small Satellite Conference

Background

• CubeSat designs vary in their physical interfaces and subsystem interconnectivity, significantly affecting assembly effort, design complexity, and mission reliability.
• This study aims to quantify these effects using standardized assembly and complexity metrics combined with reliability assessment.

Towards Increased Adoption Of Direct To Earth Optical Communications, Simon Fowler, Owain Pryce-Jones, Simran Mardhani, Edem Fiamanya, Alessandro Tringali

Small Satellite Conference

Poster presented during the 2025 SmallSat Conference.

Klara (Kit De Mesures Pour La Rentrée Atmosphéeique): An Iterative Approach To Low-Cost Atmospheric Re-Entry Capsule, Paul Miailhe, Julien Annaloro, Florian Topeza, Stephane Galera

Small Satellite Conference

No abstract provided.

Big Data Solutions For Cubesat Mission Operations: A Case Study From The Michigan Exploration Lab, Daniil Voloshin, James W. Cutler

Small Satellite Conference

As space missions generate increasingly vast and complex datasets, efficient data management and processing solutions are critical. At the Michigan eXploration Lab (MXL) at the University of Michigan, where we design, build, and operate CubeSats, we have adopted big data technologies, specifically a Hadoop and Spark-based cluster, to address challenges in handling and analyzing large-scale data. These challenges include processing raw I/Q sample recordings from CubeSat satellite passes and suborbital missions, as well as mission-long spacecraft telemetry. The cluster leverages the distributed storage capabilities of the Hadoop Distributed File System (HDFS) and the in-memory data processing power of Apache Spark, …

Night Sky Brightness Caused By Orbital Reflectors, Erkin Sidick, Ben Nowack, Tristan Semmelhack

Small Satellite Conference

We are in the process of developing a system which redirects the incoming sunlight to a stationary ground target after sunset and before sunrise. One of the purposes is to extend operating hours of solar-farms to after sunset and before sunrise. Our system contributes to light pollution as a by-product. We have developed an optical model to predict the night sky glow caused by the light coming from an orbital reflector. In this paper we will review some work done by others on the night sky brightness caused by artificial city lights first, then present our results of model predictions …

Mosaic - A Modular Orbital Satellite For Advanced Innovation And Curriculum, Evan Jellison

Small Satellite Conference

This paper presents MOSAIC (Modular Orbital Satellite for Advanced Innovation and Curriculum), an open-source, modular satellite platform designed to advance space technology education and to accelerate satellite mission design. MOSAIC is a demonstrator satellite, or “mocksat” that leverages commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) components and a modular hardware ecosystem to make satellite technology accessible, affordable, and adaptable for educational institutions and research teams. This work details the technical architecture of MOSAIC, its potential educational benefits, cost analysis, and open-source philosophy, demonstrating its goals to democratize access to satellite engineering and foster the next generation of space professionals.

Preliminary Scale Analysis Of Formation Flying For Direct-To-Device Communication Using Ultra-Small Satellites, Sumio Morioka, Harunobu Kobayashi

Small Satellite Conference

Direct-to-Device (D2D) communication in satellite constellations is attracting attention for enabling direct links to mobile terminals without large ground antennas. This approach could extend mobile coverage and support future Cyber-Physical System (CPS) use cases, such as connected vehicles and IoT sensing.

To overcome data rate limitations caused by the small antenna size on individual satellites, we propose a formation-flying system that constructs a large-aperture phased array antenna [1]. Our analysis shows that a swarm of tens of thousands of pico- or femto-class satellites can meet the required link budget, enabling broadband D2D communication with practical.

Nexosim, An Open-Source, Rust-Based Digital Twinning Framework For Hardware-In-The-Loop Testing And Virtual Flatsats, Serge Barral, Adam Chikha, Maciej Główka, Jakub Gramatyka, Illia Manzelha, Stanisław Massalski, Jaŭhien Piatlicki

Small Satellite Conference

Digital twinning has become a cornerstone of modern space systems, enabling robust in-orbit operations and ground verification and validation. For over two decades, major spacecraft manufacturers and space agencies have relied on Discrete Event Simulation (DES) to achieve these goals. The C++-based Simulation Modelling Platform (SMP), now an ECSS standard, has emerged as a unifying framework for these efforts. Despite the tremendous benefits of simulation-assisted spacecraft development, the complexity, rigidity, and lack of vendor-neutral implementations of SMP have limited its adoption in academia and the NewSpace sector. This gap is particularly concerning given the high failure rate of SmallSat missions, …

Novel Pressure-Based Electric Propulsion Discovery, Wesley Faler, Brad Berkson

Small Satellite Conference

This paper presents a novel electric propulsion system that uses pulsed plasma and ion- electron recombination to generate thrust primarily from internal pressure, using water vapor as propellant. In-space testing of the Poseidon^™ thruster demonstrated 37.49 mN average thrust and over 4,800 seconds specific impulse at under 1.5 W input power. A physics-based model captures the full mass, energy, and momentum balances and matches experimental results, supporting pressure as the dominant thrust mechanism. Experimental detection of proton–boron fusion in the exhaust plume further validates the system's plasma behavior and confirms a key element of its operating cycle.

Compact Satellites For Big Insights: Mission Analysis Of A 16u Cubesat For High-Resolution Earth Observation, Abdelmadjid Lassakeur, Kamel Djamel Eddine Kerrouche, Imène Taleb, Abdelhak Benikhlef, Mohammed Amine Meghabber

Small Satellite Conference

The demand for high-resolution Earth observation data has been growing rapidly, driven by applications in environmental monitoring, disaster response, urban planning, and defense. Governments, research institutions, and private companies increasingly rely on detailed satellite imagery to make informed decisions. However, traditional Earth observation satellites are often expensive and require long development timelines, creating a need for more compact and cost-effective solutions. Recent advancements in CubeSat technology, particularly in high-performance Attitude Determination and Control Systems (ADCS), have significantly expanded the capabilities of nanosatellites. These improvements have made it possible for smaller satellites to achieve imaging performance once limited to larger spacecraft. …

Under-Actuated Target Tracking Performance - Flight Results From The Ghgsat-D Spacecraft, Niels Roth, Benoit Larouche, Robert E. Zee, Stéphane Lokocki, Laura Bradbury, Marcela Arias

Small Satellite Conference

The GHGSat-D spacecraft, a precursor demonstration to GHGSat’s commercial constellation, was launched on June 21 2016 into a polar Sun-synchronous orbit with altitude 507 km and local time of descending node 10:30. The spacecraft successfully demonstrated GHGSat’s novel payload’s ability to measure and monitor precise greenhouse gas emissions from low Earth orbit. Such measurements were enabled by custom target tracking maneuvers allowing its imaging spectrometer to pan across ground targets of interest at prescribed rates. In July 2017 one of its three reaction wheels exhibited signs of high friction, resulting in its discontinued use. With only two functional reaction wheels …

Real-Time Space Weather Event Detection And Attribution Using Fpga-Based Machine Learning On Cubesats, Benjamin Lewis, Shawn Jones, Jonathan Phillips, Charles Swenson, Kade Howes

Small Satellite Conference

Utah State University has been developing hardware accelerators and machine learning algorithms for real-time detection and attribution of space weather events on small satellites. This research, funded under the Low-power Array for CubeSat Edge Computing Architecture, Algorithms, and Applications (LACE-C3A), is a NASA STMD-funded effort as part of the University Smallsat Technology Partnerships (USTP). In this paper, we present an FPGA implementation of an AI/ML algorithm for intelligent decision-making, enabling real-time space weather monitoring and now-casting of Equatorial Plasma Bubbles (EPBs). EPBs are low-density plasma structures that form at low latitudes within the Earth’s ionosphere, rising along magnetic field lines …

Near Real-Time Optimal Trajectory Design For Active Debris Removal With Verification And Validation Using Kompsat-1, Shawn Choi, Taeyeon Choe, Peter Ryu, Hyeongjun Park, Douglas Deok-Soo Kim

Small Satellite Conference

Geospace is getting busier with an increasing amount of debris, and their removal of such debris is becoming important for the safety, efficiency, and sustainability of geospace. The need for safe and sustainable removal has drawn significant attention to Active Debris Removal (ADR). When a chaser performs a fly-around maneuver to approach a target, it should solve the following optimization problem (OPT): (i) Minimize collision risk against other flying space objects, (ii) minimize fuel consumption, and (iii) maximize mission accomplishment. However, solving OPT is known to be very challenging, as it is at least NP-hard. This is because the trajectories …

Predicting Tle Covariance Using Transformer-Based Time Series Forecasting, Thijs Verhaeghe, Bart De Clerk, Ben Lauwens, Tjorven Delabie, Dirk Vandepitte, Bart Vandenbussche

Small Satellite Conference

This paper introduces the notion of using a transformer-inspired time series forecasting model, more specifically IBM’s Tiny Time Mixer (TTM), to predict the covariance of Two-Line Elements (TLEs). The pre-trained compact univariate model is finetuned on a dataset of historical TLEs. Using the well established technique of pairwise differencing, a fixed-interval time series of TLE covariances is generated. This series is merged with exogenous variables extracted from the TLEs themselves, such as the classical orbital elements. The multi-level modeling capabilities of the TTM allow it to capture inter-channel correlations, crucial to capture the complex interactions inherent in the prediction of …

A Radio Payload For In-Space Sub-Terahertz Communications, Andrew Benincasa, Sergi Aliaga, Albert Diez-Comas, Josep Miquel Jornet

Small Satellite Conference

This paper presents the first fully integrated design of a CubeSat-compatible sub-terahertz (sub-THz) radio payload for in-space communications at 225 GHz. Addressing the growing congestion in traditional RF bands and the limitations of Free Space Optical systems, the proposed system leverages recent breakthroughs in compact high-frequency front-ends, horn antenna arrays, and RFSoC-based digital processing to unlock multi-GHz bandwidths in the underutilized sub-THz spectrum. A detailed feasibility study confirms link closure from low Earth orbit using state-of-the-art components, and the payload’s architecture is engineered for real-time high-speed uplink/downlink under stringent CubeSat size, weight, and power (SWaP) constraints. The proposed payload will …

4096-Element Ka-Band Deployable Active Phased Array Transceivers In A 6u Cubesat, Hiroki Hayashi, Delburg Mitchao, Yasuto Narukiyo, Sena Kato, Keito Yuasa, Jill Mayeda, Hiraku Sakamoto, Kenichi Okada, Atsushi Shirane

Small Satellite Conference

This paper proposes a 4096-element deployable phased-array transceiver for LEO constellations, operating in the Ka-band frequency range. The system is designed for a 6U satellite platform, with the deployable membrane stored within a 2U volume and deploying to form a 670 mm × 670 mm aperture. The antenna features a central active area of 360 mm × 360 mm, with additional regions allocated for heat dissipation. A 7-layer rigid-flex printed circuit board (PCB) is used in the fabrication for the antenna array. A 256-element phased-array antenna was successfully fabricated on this rigid-flex PCB and demonstrates the feasibility of scaling up, …

Optical Observation Of Mola Cubesat In Orbit Using Ground Telescope, Jeffrey Larsen, Christine Maceo, Isabella Fernald, Matthew M. Knight, Jim Kang, Michael Sanders, Alex Savattone, Giovanni Minelli, Wenschel Lan

Small Satellite Conference

The proliferation of satellites and satellite constellations in orbit, combined with the rapid expansion of telecommunications and wireless “smart” devices on Earth, has led to congestion in the radio frequency spectrum, adversely affecting data transmission and security. Although technological advances in small satellite technology and new commercial models for rocket launches have lowered the barrier for accessing space, the licensing process to use radio frequencies for satellite communications remains an obstacle. Free Space Optical Communication (FSOC) using the near-infrared and visible parts of the unlicensed optical spectrum offers higher bandwidth, faster data rates, and improved security (near-IR). In 2024, the …

Satellite Passive Ranging Metasurface Optics For Space Rendezvous And Proximity Operations, Jeremy Harris, Zachary Coppens, Cameron Vo, Addison Long

Small Satellite Conference

Rendezvous and Proximity Operations (RPO) are pivotal in a range of space missions, including satellite servicing, debris removal, and formation flying. Traditional RPO sensor technologies, such as LiDAR, radar, and visual cameras, face limitations in terms of power and size requirements. This work introduces a novel passive ranging sensor based on metasurface optics (meta-optics), designed to reduce power and size requirements while enhancing RPO activities by utilizing a single aperture imaging and ranging sensor. The meta-optic device features subwavelength-engineered structures that encode range information using a rotational, double helix point spread function. This new sensor offers potential for reduced power …

Orpheus: A Uk-Led Space Mission To Characterize The Space Domain And Advance Future Concepts For Defense, Kit Grange, Alexander Agathanggelou, Gemma Attrill, Alex Gannon, Christine Mccullough, Graham Routledge, Andy Wells, Andrew Nicholas, Bruce Fritz, Daniel A. Lavigne, Robert Boucher

Small Satellite Conference

The ORPHEUS mission is a collaborative research mission between the UK Defence Science Technology Laboratory (Dstl), the US Naval Research Laboratory (NRL), and the Canadian Defence Research and Development Canada (DRDC) to characterise the space domain and advance future concepts for defence.

The ORPHEUS mission comprises two CubeSats flying in a lead-trail configuration in a near-polar low earth orbit and aims to launch in 2027. This is a follow-on mission to the Coordinated Ionospheric Reconstruction Cubesat Experiment (CIRCE) and Prometheus-2 CubeSat missions that were lost due to a launch failure at the start of 2023, combining and updating the payload …

Canadian Space Agency Satellite Operations For The Quantum Encryption And Science Satellite (Qeyssat) Mission, Tyler Hrynyk, Patrick Irvin, Christian Carrié, Maude Robichaud, Philippe Méhu, Éric Gloutnay, Étienne Boulais, Alexander Koujelev, Lydia Philpott, Alexey Tikhomirov, Stéphane Routhier, Hicham Safoine

Small Satellite Conference

The Canadian Space Agency’s (CSA) Quantum EncrYption and Science Satellite (QEYSSat) mission launching in late 2026 will be the first demonstration of ground-to-space Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) in Canada. For this system, the receiving platform is a microsatellite in low earth orbit and the photon source is hosted in a ground based Optical Quantum Ground Station (OQGS). Together, they will enable the creation and exchange of cryptographic keys, establishing secure quantum communications at a minimum distance of 500 km. In the first year of operations, experiments will be performed to demonstrate QKD as an uplink via Weak Coherent Pulse (WCP) …

Escape, Plasma And Acceleration Dynamics Explorers (Escapade) – Enabling A Low-Cost Mars Mission, Jeffrey S. Parker, Andrew Kohler, Mitchell Rosen, Lauren De Moudt, Robert Lillis, David Curtis, Ellen Taylor, Sasha Courtade, Daniel Cosgrove, Christophe Mandy, Antoine Bichara

Small Satellite Conference

The Escape, Plasma and Acceleration Dynamics Explorers (ESCAPADE) mission will provide a comprehensive picture of how solar wind energy flows through Mars’ unique hybrid magnetosphere to drive ion and sputtering escape. The mission has undergone several transformations to accommodate evolving launch constraints, highlighting its resilience and offering valuable insights for designing low-cost, adaptable Mars missions. This paper describes why and how ESCAPADE has pivoted, how the mission design accommodated the change, and what lessons have been learned. The objective is to illuminate how to design launch resiliency into a low-cost Mars mission.

Lightsheet Anomaly Resolution And Debris Observation (Larado), Andrew Nicholas, Kenneth Marr, Josh Wolf, Charles Brown, Vanessa Kooi, Ted Finne, Scott Budzien, Cosimos Cendo, Ivan Galysh

Small Satellite Conference

Space objects in the size range of 0.1 mm to 3 cm are not currently trackable but have enough kinetic energy for lethal consequences to spacecraft. Small orbital debris poses a risk to most space missions; the detection of this debris requires a combination of a large sensor area and large time coverage. For example, a sensor with a time area product of 3 m²years can make a significant contribution to our understanding of the near-Earth small debris population. Deploying large sensors like physical witness plates is resource intensive, due to their size and weight. The light sheet …

Navigating The Ezie Path: Insights From A Cubesat's Trailblazing Journey Through Nasa Mission Development, Marc Hoffman, Rebecca Wind-Kelly, Nelli Mosavi-Hoyer

Small Satellite Conference

The Electrojet Zeeman Imaging Explorer (EZIE) is a low-cost, multi-spacecraft mission that seeks to capture the magnetic signature of the powerful electrojet currents flowing within the Earth's upper atmosphere. Equipped with the innovative Microwave Electrojet Magnetogram instrument, three identical 6U CubeSats fly in a "pearls-on-a-string" configuration in sun-synchronous, low Earth orbit, crossing the auroral oval over 8,000 times during its 18-month lifetime. As a NASA-sponsored, Category 3, Risk Classification D mission, EZIE accommodates a higher-risk tolerance and moderate budget while offering a substantial return in science. In less than 40 months of development, the project managed the convergence of sponsor …

In-Orbit Commissioning Results Of The Esa Φsat-2 Mission, Nicola Melega, Agnė Paškevičiūtė-Kidron, Nicolas Longepe, Mirko Albani, Louis Dadswell, George Hine, Jacob Bullard, Alessandro Marin

Small Satellite Conference

The commissioning of the ESA Φsat-2 mission marks a significant milestone in the advancement of Earth observation technologies, particularly in the realm of artificial intelligence (AI) and edge computing. Launched on August 16, 2024, aboard the SpaceX Transporter 11 rideshare flight, the Φsat-2 mission aims to demonstrate the feasibility of running an entire data processing chain onboard, from Level 0 to Level 2, showcasing the latest advancements in edge computing and AI. The mission began with the successful separation of the Φsat-2 spacecraft from the launcher, followed by the establishment of communication 90 minutes post-launch over the Troll ground station. …

Reaching Full Operating Capability With The Tomorrow.Io Weather Constellation, Scott Williams, Emma Watson, Jan Wicha, Joe Munchak

Small Satellite Conference

The Tomorrow.io weather constellation leverages advances in small satellite technology and the emergence of affordable rideshare options to provide timely, global weather measurements using a constellation of precipitation radars and passive microwave sounders. The focus of this paper is on the design and deployment of Tomorrow.io’s CubeSats carrying passive microwave radiometers known as Tomorrow.io Microwave Sounders (TMS). The TMS instrument design is based on technology transitioned from the MIT Lincoln Laboratory (MIT LL) with technology insertions to improve performance. TMS will achieve full operating capability (FOC) with 12 satellites in a hybrid mix of sun synchronous and mid inclination orbits. …

Finch Eye: The Optical And Optomechanical Design Of A Grism-Based Swir Hyperspectral Imaging Payload For A 3u Cubesat, Iliya Shofman, Mario Ghio Neto, Theaswanth Ganesh, Kenya He, Aidan Armstrong, Ksenya Narkevich

Small Satellite Conference

Crop residue is an important metric used for agricultural land-use monitoring and climate science research. Estimating crop residue coverage is essential to sustainable agricultural practices. There already exist scientific hyperspectral satellites, such as PRISMA and EnMAP, that can be used for crop residue estimation; however, they are very expensive to build and cannot be monopolized by individual farms. This leaves a gap in satellite remote sensing solutions which can be deployed operationally and at the farm scale. We seek to fill this gap by developing a low-cost satellite solution for crop residue estimation. The University of Toronto Aerospace Team is …

Performance Quantification Of Diverse Controller Structures In A Non-Cooperative Multi-Agent Orbital Environment, Patrick Williams, Ryan Karow, Jacob Witthuhn, Cannon Kilcrease, Kyle King, Joshua Varon, Imraan Faruque

Small Satellite Conference

Poster presented during the 2025 SmallSat Conference.