Digital Commons Network^™

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 …

Reducing Residential Landscape Water Use In Utah: Technologies And Strategies, Maya Cottam, Kendall Becker, Katlyn Stemmler, Shital Poudyal, Wesley Crump, Lewis Kogan, Scott Hotaling

All Current Publications

Water conservation is a critical issue in Utah, and several actions are already underway to help lower residential landscape water use. Strategies include smart irrigation controllers, efficient sprinkler bodies and nozzles, drip irrigation systems, soil amendments that increase water-holding capacity, and drought-tolerant grass cultivars for lawns. While additional conservation efforts will be necessary to reach sustainable water management, statewide adoption of current programs can help reduce water use and loss.

Investigating Extension's Scope And Role In Outdoor Recreation In The West: Attitudes, Challenges, And Opportunities, Jake Powell

Funded Research Records

No abstract provided.

Universal Centralizers, Morita Abelianization, And Wonderful Models In Lie Theory, Peter Crooks

Funded Research Records

No abstract provided.

Collaborative Proposal: Caig: Synthetic Data Generation For Solar Energetic Particle Events Via Multimodal Augmentation, Shah Muhammad Hamdi

Funded Research Records

No abstract provided.

Too Hot To Handle: Assessing Practitioner Climate Service Needs To Advance Heat Resilience, K. M. Archie, D. Hirschfeld, S. Meerow, J. C. Arnott, L. Keith, J. A. Vano, E. Mateo

Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning Faculty Publications

Extreme heat is deadly and it is disproportionately experienced by lower-income, minority, and marginalized community members. Heat practitioners are faced with the dual challenges of taking action to mitigate the level of heat experienced by local residents while preparing communities to manage unavoidable levels of elevated warming. In response to a lack of in-depth information about heat practitioner needs, this work aims to advance our understanding of how efforts to improve climate services may contribute to more effective extreme heat planning and decision-making in the United States. Through a two-round, mixed-methods approach that employed group interviews and a survey, we …

Designing Writers: A Self-Regulated Approach To Multimodal Composition In Teacher Preparation And Early Grades, Qi Si, Tracey S. Hodges, Vahid Mousavi

Teacher Education and Leadership Faculty Publications

Reading and writing in the 21st century have evolved from traditional text-based formats to multimodal literacy, integrating linguistic, visual, auditory, and spatial modes to enhance communication and comprehension. While multimodal reading has been widely studied, multimodal writing remains underexplored, despite its growing importance in K–12 education across disciplines. Multimodal composing demands advanced self-regulation as students navigate multiple digital tools and platforms. Self-regulated learning strategies, particularly the self-regulated strategy developmental model, offer a promising approach to support students in planning, monitoring, and revising multimodal compositions. However, a comprehensive framework linking self-regulation and multimodal composition is lacking. This article addresses this gap …

Collaborative Research: Bocp-Implementation: Us-China: Multi-Scale, Multi- Proxy, Integrative Investigation Of Functional Biodiversity On A Changing Proterozoic Planet, Carol Dehler

Funded Research Records

No abstract provided.

Promising Practices To Address Healthcare Needs Voiced By Local Native Americans, Noelle Taylor, Mykin R. Higbee, Raiden Gaul

Transforming Communities

Purpose

To examine barriers and facilitators to nursing education among Native Americans and identify evidence-based strategies to increase the number of Native American nurses working in their local communities to address health disparities.

Background

Native Americans experience significantly higher rates of chronic illnesses such as diabetes and heart disease, and lower life expectancies. Only 4% of registered nurses identify as Native American, with no growth despite increased funding for diversity in nursing education. This underrepresentation contributes to culturally insensitive care and persistent healthcare inequities stemming from historical marginalization and trauma.

Methods

A comprehensive literature review was conducted using CINAHL, PubMed, …

Understanding Salt Stress In Watermelon: Impacts On Plant Performance, Adaptive Solutions, And Future Prospects, Sukhmanjot Kaur, Milena Maria Tomaz De Oliveira, Amita Kaundal

Plants, Soils and Climate Student Research

Soil salinity stress, intensified by extreme weather patterns, significantly threatens global watermelon [Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.) Matsum & Nakai] production. Watermelon, a moderately salt-sensitive crop, exhibits reduced germination, stunted growth, and impaired fruit yield and quality under saline conditions. As freshwater resources decline and agriculture’s dependency on irrigation leads to soil salinization, we need sustainable mitigation strategies for food security. Recent advances highlight the potential of using salt-tolerant rootstocks and breeding salt-resistant watermelon varieties as long-term genetic solutions for salinity. Conversely, agronomic interventions such as drip irrigation and soil amendments provide practical, short-term strategies to mitigate the impact of salt …

Time-Evolved Constant Voltage Conductivity Measurements Of Common Spaceborne Polymeric Materials, Brian Wood, David King, Jr Dennison

Journal Articles

Long-duration current measurements were made for low-density polyethylene (LDPE), polyimide (PI), polyether ether ketone (PEEK), and biaxially oriented polypropylene (BOPP) to determine their bulk conductivity near room temperature as a function of time. These common thin-film spacecraft material samples were vacuum baked to remove moisture and volatile contaminants to better simulate space conditions. The constant voltage conductivity (CVC) method used a very stable, low-noise dc voltage source and measured the resulting current in a parallel plate geometry. Due to the extremely low conductivity of these four polymeric materials, extended experiments of up to ten days were necessary to establish equilibrium …

Career: Algebra And Representation Theory For Non-Semisimple Topological Field Theory, Matthew Young

Funded Research Records

No abstract provided.

Career: Flavones As Safe, Sustainable Additives To Tune Biodegradable Plastic Stability, Kyle Moor

Funded Research Records

No abstract provided.

Rapid: Data Collection On Roadway Vehicle Abandonment In The Fast-Moving Los Angeles Wildfire Evacuations, Sarah Grajdura

Funded Research Records

No abstract provided.

Passive Precision Alignment For Thin-Panel Deployable Space Systems, Jake Sutton, Trevor Carter, Brooklyn Olson, David Wing, Fisk Lungreen, Larry Howell, Nathan Usevitch, Spencer Magleby, Mark Stephen

Small Satellite Conference

Optical satellite performance improves with increased surface area, which enhances light capture and sensor input. Deployable mechanisms allow satellites to remain compact during launch and expand in orbit but the large relative motion during deployment makes it difficult to achieve precision alignment in the final deployed state. This study focuses on designing passive hinges in rigid-panel origami-based deployable satellites for optical applications. A novel kinematic coupling method is developed, incorporating magnets, compact Lamina Emergent Torsional (LET) joints, and principles from Maxwell couplings. This system autonomously achieves alignment without motorized actuation. The design process involved iterative testing of ten two-panel hinge …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …