Digital Commons Network^™

Orbital Decay Analysis Of Uae Nanosatellites In Low Earth Orbit, Bassam Alfeeli

Small Satellite Conference

Given the continuous efforts in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to develop its local capabilities in space technology through the deployment of nanosatellites (cubesats) in Low Earth Orbit (LEO), understanding cubesats orbital dynamics and decay patterns is crucial for both future mission planning and space debris management. This study investigates the orbital decay characteristics of cubesats deployed by the UAE in LEO. We analyzed the orbital decay rates of seven UAE cubesats namely Nayif-1, Mysat-1, Meznsat, QMR-KWT, Ghalib, Dhabisat, and Light-1 by examining observational data, orbital parameters, and environmental factors. The results offer insights into the effectiveness of current satellite …

Orbitcare: A Universal Autonomous In-Orbit Platform For Manufacturing, Servicing, And Debris Mitigation, Rohan Chandratre, Vishish Behera, Anushree Manwatkar, Aruma Kushwaha, Sneha Gayen

Small Satellite Conference

OrbitCare is a proposed orbital infrastructure enabling scalable, sustainable, and cost-effective in-space servicing, manufacturing, and assembly through a modular system architecture comprising an Orbital Manufacturing Hub (OMH) and a fleet of free-flying WorkSat servicing satellites, all integrated via a standardized Servicing Interface Standard (SIS). This paper presents the technical architecture, subsystem design, trade studies, use cases, and development roadmap for OrbitCare. The motivation stems from the current lack of persistent infrastructure in orbit, which renders satellites single-use assets with limited repair or upgrade capabilities. OrbitCare addresses this by combining a permanent hub with reusable robotic satellites to extend spacecraft lifespans, …

Peek-Guided Neural Network Pruning For Deployment On Low Swap Hardware, Mackenzie J. Meni, Blake Gisclair, Ryan T. White, Trupti Mahendrakar

Small Satellite Conference

Deploying deep learning models onboard spacecraft is limited by strict size, weight, power (SWaP), and bandwidth constraints. Standard object detection networks like YOLO or Faster R-CNN are too computationally heavy for real-time use in space. We present a pruning framework using PEEK (Probabilistic Explanations for Entropic Knowledge extraction), an entropy-based interpretability method that pinpoints low-information layers for removal. Applied to YOLOv5 for Rendezvous, Proximity Operations, and Docking (RPOD), this approach cuts model size by up to 30% and compute cost by 25%, with only minor accuracy trade-offs—enabling faster, reliable detection on low-SWaP spacecraft platforms.

Qualification Challenges Of An Sadm Using The Slipring Technology, Adrien Guignabert, Flavien Deschaux, Etienne Magnin-Robert, Luc Herrero, Jean-Bernard Mondier

Small Satellite Conference

The SADM-200 (Solar Array Drive Mechanism for 200W) is a new mechanism developed at Comat in order to provide a solution for solar array rotation and power transfer for small satellite applications. This mechanism is designed to be as compact as possible while providing a reliable angular positioning and electrical power transfer from the solar array to the satellite. Robust mechanical guidance and high quality components selection allows an accurate positioning with low angular play while withstanding the tough mechanical and thermal environment faced during launch and in-orbit operations. The development focused on keeping the cost as low as possible …

Qualification Testing And Initial Flights Of The Payload Release Module – Prm™ 4-Point Dispensing Mechanism, Ensign-Bickford Aerospace & Defense

Small Satellite Conference

Poster presented during the 2025 SmallSat Conference.

Scout Mission: Satellite Collision Observation And Unified Tracking, Timothy Suxe, Linnea Berger, Rohan Patel, Lauren Ward, Frankie Sharman, Griffin Mckay, Shellene Redhorse, Ayush Srivastava, Barbra Sobhani

Small Satellite Conference

SCOUT is a CubeSat-based mission developed to improve space situational awareness by detecting and cataloging orbital debris through the use of RGB imaging and advanced image processing techniques. The mission focuses on identifying the position, velocity, and orbital trajectories of debris smaller than 10 centimeters. This data will be collected, analyzed, and made publicly available to support future collision avoidance efforts and promote transparency in orbital debris monitoring. The system's core component is an RGB camera mounted on the CubeSat, which enables real-time visual tracking of objects within the field of view. By utilizing computer vision algorithms, SCOUT aims to …

Small Satellites, Big Impact: Advancing Space Innovation From Earth To Orbit With The Catapult’S Isam Test Facility, Dimitris Xydas, Oliver Knappett, Lewis Gray, Alex Goodhand, Jeremy Hadall, Michael Curtis-Rouse

Small Satellite Conference

The In-orbit Servicing Assembly & Manufacturing (ISAM) Test Facility at Westcott, UK is a testbed providing realistic environmental conditions for orbital operations here on Earth, with the primary objective of accelerating the readiness level of emerging ISAM technologies and reducing the time to market for commercial space systems. As a result of continuous feedback from campaigns, the Facility has seen recent upgrades to both infrastructure and capabilities, which has created a unique operational environment that acts as an enabler for space activities in the UK and internationally. Moreover, as a constantly evolving system, it is uniquely positioned to adapt to …

Smallsats In Earth Science: Pioneering Insights Through The Usgeo’S Earth Observation Assessment, Shankar Ramaseri, Jordan Rowe, Ellen Wengert, Kimberly A. Casey

Small Satellite Conference

Poster presented during the 2025 SmallSat Conference.

The Potential Of Small Optical Isolators For Leo Satellite Equipment, Tomoaki Toriya, Shuto Goryo, Masaki Ogura, Fumiaki Shiotsu, Toshihisa Okubo, Takashi Kato

Small Satellite Conference

Poster presented during the 2025 SmallSat Conference.

Ultra-Compact Deployable Reflectarray Antenna For Cubesat Earth Observation Or Science Missions, Cecilia Cappellin, Tonny Rubæk, Min Zhou, Andreas Ericsson, Mustafa Murat Bilgic, Erik Jørgensen

Small Satellite Conference

Earth observation and science missions require high data-rate downlinks, demanding antennas with higher gain and wider bandwidth than standard COTS solutions, like helixes, monopoles or patches.

Reflectarray antennas are ideal, as they can deploy from flat panels on the satellite and become electrically large.

To fill the gap in European high gain space-qualified COTS options, the European Space Agency (ESA) and TICRA have developed and qualified a compact and deployable, circularly polarized X band reflectarray antenna (8.025–8.4 GHz) designed to fit on the side of a 6U CubeSat.

3ucubed: The Imap Student Collaboration Cubesat Progress To Flight Readiness, Sanjeev Mehta, Noé Lugaz, Lindsay Bartolone, Marc Lessard, Laura Peticolas, Marcus Alfred

Small Satellite Conference

3UCubed is the Student Collaboration (StC) for the Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe (IMAP) mission. 3UCubed stands for 3 Universities; 3U CubeSat; Uplifting Undergraduate; Upwelling. The 3UCubed project is a student-focused CubeSat collaboration effort between the University of New Hampshire, Sonoma State University, and Howard University. The 3UCubed program offers hands-on experience to undergrad students at three universities through all phases of mission–design, development, assembly, design and testing. 3UCubed is manifested to launch on SpaceX’s Transporter-15 in Q4 2025 in a polar Sun Synchronous orbit (SSO) ~500 km altitude and LTDN of 10:00.

Aerogel-Enhanced E-Ink Particle Detector (Aepd) For Thermospheric Studies, Abeneth Ramachandran, Saranya Ravva, Yukti Makkar, Sai Kiran Parre

Small Satellite Conference

Current SmallSat particle detectors suffer from high power consumption ( > 5W) and poor spatial resolution ( ≥ 1mm), limiting thermospheric research capabilities. The Aerogel-Enhanced E-Ink Particle Detector (AEPD) ideation is intended to revolutionize space instrumentation by integrating radiation-tolerant aerogel ( ≤ 3 mg/cm³) with modified E-Ink display technology. This breakthrough if valid can achieve close to 100mW operation with ≤ 200μm resolution, a 50x power improvement and 5x resolution enhancement. The aerogel's graded nanostructure provides 40% capture efficiency gains, while E-Ink layers enable 12-hour persistent visualization without power. Laboratory validation demonstrates 92% particle classification accuracy and linear energy …

A Small-Satellite On-Orbit Optical And Thermal Calibrator, Paul D. Fucile

Small Satellite Conference

Imaging payload sensor calibrations are typically performed under laboratory conditions prior to launch and then routinely while on-orbit by using ground or astronomical based reference sources. With a trend towards autonomous operations, many machine-learning algorithms would benefit from having on-demand calibration across multiple detectors to better enable capabilities, for example using long wave infrared observations to identify and distinguish clouds from snow and ice. This subsequently would allow satellites to identify clouds confidently onboard, and downlink well defined clear images.

Presented are two technologies that provide a method for the direct on-orbit calibration of optical and thermal cameras used in …

Potential Benefits Of A Space Domain Awareness Secondary Mission Capability On Proliferated Smallsat Constellations For Cost-Effective Augmentation Of Sensor Headcount And Angular Diversity In Terrestrial Sda Enterprises, Paul Day, Tina Schmidt, Micah Chapman, Zackary Werner, Carlos Jimenez, Paul Cronk

Small Satellite Conference

Poster presented during the 2025 SmallSat Conference.

Reaching Higher Orbit - A Quick Guide For Exploration Beyond Leo, John Carrico, Mike Loucks, Alisa Hawkins

Small Satellite Conference

Poster presented during the 2025 SmallSat Conference.

Sol3 - A Level 5 Self Driving System For Spacecraft, Blake Bruell, Bob Crocco, Ethan Rublee, Giuseppe Pasqualino, Greg Brougher, Hauke Strasdat, Ian Sherman, John Bailey, Morgan Swanson, Ryan Catherman, Ryan Johnson, Stephen Bailey, Sydney Weiser

Small Satellite Conference

Poster presented during the 2025 SmallSat Conference.

Techniques For Optimizing Swap-C Through Multi-Phase Clock Distribution, Abigail Eberts

Small Satellite Conference

Multi-phase power is important to design highly efficient solutions for next-generation space avionics systems, but noise, current sharing accuracy and beat pulses can all contribute to the complexity of a power system's design. The latest FPGAs and ACAPs have very specific DC and AC regulation tolerances, so it can be difficult to manage power while considering size, efficiency, reliability and cost.

This poster will demonstrate methods to scale and manage multi-phase power systems through the inclusion of power management-specific clock distribution ICs and show how they can be used to implement a variety of solutions that balance efficiency and accuracy …

Star Tracker Advancements At A Glance, Steffen Hahn, Florian Schuh

Small Satellite Conference

Poster presented during the 2025 SmallSat Conference.

Modernizing Smallsat Mission Operations: Integrating Ai-Driven Optimization With Cloud-Native Control Systems, David Besson, Dax Garner

Small Satellite Conference

As the space industry experiences unprecedented growth in SmallSat constellation deployments, traditional mission control approaches face significant scalability and efficiency challenges. This paper presents a novel framework that integrates three cutting-edge technologies to revolutionize satellite mission operations: Cognitive Space’s CNTIENT.Optimize AI-powered decision engine, Yamcs open-source mission control software, and the Amazon Web Services (AWS) Cloud Mission Operations Center (CMOC) solution. As a representative simulation benchmark, the paper demonstrates the framework’s capabilities through mission simulations of the Cyclone Global Navigation Satellite System (CYGNSS) SmallSat constellation. The integration leverages CNTIENT.Optimize’s advanced AI algorithms to automate complex scheduling decisions across proliferating homogenous or …

Arizona Dust: Students Advancing Climate Science With Cubesat Technology, Haile Brown, Theodore Courtois, Alyssa Armstrong, Abraham Phillips, Mckayla Morgan, Isabella O'Brien, Aaron Wall, Harrison Constance

Small Satellite Conference

ARIZONA DUST (Arid Region Infrared Zone Observation of Notable Arizona Desert Urban Storms and Temperatures) is a student-led mission team of 25 out of Arizona State University with the goal to understand how Earth’s climate is evolving and why. The 6U CubeSat ‘Dusty’ will orbit at a 400 km altitude in a non-sun synchronous orbit with a 40^° inclination designed to pass over Arizona (as well as Australia). The mission is designed to study monsoon and dust storms to enhance understanding of their effects on temperature as they relate to global climate change. With the orbital path also crossing …

Afrl Validated Principles And Building Blocks Of Ground-Based Ops Automation, Tyler De Caussin, Jarred Langhals, Brandon Shirley, Lee Jasper

Small Satellite Conference

Over the past decade, AFRL's Small Satellite Portfolio (SSP) and Ops Cadre (RVES) branches have been operating small satellites with different bus providers to support diverse mission needs. Because the bus, payload and experimentation differ for every mission, and the ground segment has had the challenge of supporting the varying needs on a mission-by-mission basis. AFRL has been working to improve efficiency with which the ground segment supports those varying needs. One major emphasis has been on learning how to automate operations of such different missions. In an effort to standardize mission automation within the operations center, AFRL has developed …

Terp Raptor: A University-Led Smallsat Flyby Mission To Investigate Asteroid Apophis, Adrienne Rudolph, Sean Phillips, Chinthan Prasad, Kruti Bhingradiya, Rahul Vishnoi, Cameron Storey, Brent Barbee, Mary Bowden, David Akin, Jarred Young, Paul Bernhardt, Yunghsin Chen

Small Satellite Conference

The ~350-meter diameter Potentially Hazardous Asteroid (PHA) designated 99942 Apophis 2004 MN₄ will make a historic close approach of Earth on April 13th, 2029, passing within ~31,634 km of Earth’s surface, closer than our geosynchronous satellites. Suggested to be a 1 in 7500-year event, this is an extraordinarily unique opportunity for collecting data on an Apophis-sized asteroid experiencing the effects of Earth’s gravitational field. Our Terrapin Engineered Rideshare Probe for Rapid-response asteroid Apophis Profiling, Tracking, Observing, and Reconnaissance (TERP RAPTOR) is a low-cost, Earth-orbiting mission concept in which a 12U CubeSat designed and built by University of Maryland students …

From Dishes To Distributed Arrays: Towards Efficient And Interference-Free Satellite Ground Stations, Rohith Reddy Vennam, Luke Wilson, Sesha Sai Rakesh Jonnavithula, Ish Kumar Jain, Dinesh Bharadia

Small Satellite Conference

The rapid growth of low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite constellations, driven by initiatives such as Starlink and Kuiper, has enabled global internet access, Earth observation, and emerging direct-to-device (D2D) applications. However, this surge in satellite deployments has outpaced the expansion of ground station infrastructure, creating a critical bottleneck for scalable and low-latency communication. Traditional ground stations, predominantly based on mechanically steered parabolic dishes, are ill-suited for tracking multiple fast-moving LEO satellites simultaneously due to latency, operational inefficiencies, and underutilized resources. While phased array antennas offer electronically steerable, multi-beam capabilities, their widespread adoption in ground stations is hindered by challenges in …

Exploring Lunar Ionosphere Characterization Through Multi-Cubesat Occultation With Ranging Technology And Radiation Environment Analysis, Yiyu Chang, Yuhsiu Tien, Chieh Lung, Jason Yu, Weichih Lin, Yihsuan Chou, Roger Tsai, Terry Chen, Yi Duann, Loren Chang

Small Satellite Conference

Characterizing the lunar ionosphere and radiation environment is critical for advancing both scientific knowledge and the practical requirements of future lunar missions. This mission proposes deploying dual satellites in lunar orbit to perform radio occultation (RO) measurements and validate the presence and behavior of the lunar ionosphere. By analyzing the phase differences of dual-frequency signals, the electron density can be measured, enabling both temporal analysis and spatial mapping of the lunar ionospheric structure. A thorough understanding of these environmental factors is essential for identifying suitable landing sites, designing resilient infrastructure, and ensuring the reliability of communication and navigation systems—key enablers …

Telemetry Handling & Extensible Satellite Environment For A Unified System (Theseus) For The Operation Of Onglaisat, Shunsuke Shimomura, Kuna Shitara, Yuki Kusano, Yojiro Yamashiro, Tomoki Mochizuki, Shunichiro Nomura, Takeshi Matsumoto, Akihiro Ishikawa, Yosuke Kawabata, Satoshi Ikari, Ryu Funase, Shinichi Nakasuka

Small Satellite Conference

The recent increase in small satellites and diverse satellite missions has heightened the need for flexible and highly reliable ground station software. However, most existing open-source ground station software is implemented with the entire system in mind, making it difficult to accommodate diverse missions. Even when accommodating diverse missions, it is necessary to edit configuration files with a wide range of descriptions or make internal service modifications. Furthermore, as the number of available ground station services increases, there is an urgent need for systems that can support a wider range of interfaces. In addition, modern satellite development requires flexible support …

Gram-Scale Chipsat Spacecraft For Light Sailing In Leo, Joshua Umansky-Castro, Matthew Hurford, Corbin Heywood, Grace Tang, Cameron Goddard, Jonathan Ma, Apurva Hanwadikar, Mason Peck, Andrew Filo, Alex Burke

Small Satellite Conference

Cornell University’s Alpha mission is a 1U CubeSat that deploys a retroreflective free-flying light sail in LEO. Mounted to the sail, and serving as its flight computers, are four ChipSats –gram-scale spacecraft assembled onto a single palm-sized PCB. These satellites collect and downlink data on the sail’s orbital position and attitude kinematics, communicating directly with low-cost ground stations around the globe. This paper introduces the ChipSat developed specifically for the Alpha mission launching in 2025. The new femto-satellite builds on previous-generation designs with a significant revamp of the RF communications. This paper provides an overview of the as-flown ChipSat design …

Effect Of High Solar Activity On The Orbital Decay Rate Of The 3u Cubesat Dora, Joseph Dubois, Daniel Jacobs, Siddharth Vaidyanathan

Small Satellite Conference

CubeSats developed at universities seldom have propulsion due to cost and complexity constraints and are very commonly deployed from the ISS into orbits where atmospheric drag is significant. Without propulsion, the time to re-entry is a function of the cross section to mass ratio and the space weather. Many cubesats have limited ways of decreasing ram cross section, e.g. pointing into the wind. Hard radiation from solar activity inflates the atmosphere and increases drag. Since the beginning of the cubesat era, the Sun has been unusually quiescent, at a level not seen for 200 years, which has biased expectations for …

Advancing Earth Observation With A Novel Polarimetric Sensor: The Garai-A Satellite And Satlantis’ Next-Generation Systems, Daniel Luque, Leire Benito, Aitor Moriñigo, Aitor Conde, Xavier Lopez, Jon Paul Babio, Fernando Mariño, Lucas Dubois, Wafaa Bousaid, Antonio Checa

Small Satellite Conference

Polarimetric sensors introduce great imaging enhancements to current Earth Observation capabilities, by improving target discrimination, material recognition, and atmospheric components filtering. Satlantis has recently launched its cutting-edge polarimetry technology onboard its GARAI-A satellite, which will soon demonstrate its advanced capabilities in orbit. This paper presents the design of the polarimetric channel, its calibration process, the first polarimetric images, and an initial assessment of their potential applications.

GARAI-A, launched in January 2025, carries an innovative polarimetric channel designed by Satlantis on an iSIM-90 sensor to capture multi-angle polarization data at a very high spatial resolution. Unlike other EO payloads, this novel …

Mission Highlights From Deep Purple And The Pathfinder Technology Demonstrator-R, Lance Simms, Jordan Smilo, Frank Ravizza, Waswa Peter, Wim De Vries, Brian Bauman, John Ganino, Ben Bahney, Kyle Kung, Brendan Smith, Shawn Joseph, Luis Andrade, Declan King, Emily Milne, Christopher Laurent, David Mayer, Jan Stupl, Roger Hunter, John Hanson

Small Satellite Conference

Deep Purple is a satellite payload equipped with co-boresighted Ultraviolet (UV) and Short-Wave Infrared (SWIR) telescopes. The payload is hosted on the 6U Pathfinder Technology Demonstrator-R (PTD-R) CubeSat. PTD-R launched on August 16, 2024, into a Sun-synchronous orbit with an altitude of 520km. After successfully exercising basic inertial and Earth-based imaging with Deep Purple, more sophisticated modes that involve tracking Resident Space Objects (RSOs) were demonstrated. This paper highlights the unique sensing capabilities of PTD-R and outlines some of the mission successes achieved over its 10-month campaign. The latter include follow-on imaging campaigns coordinated with LLNL’s other on-orbit SDA demonstration …

Prometheus-1: A Satellite Framework For Research And Educational Access To Space, Pedro Reis Andrade, Alexandre Ferreira Da Silva, Paulo R. M. Fisch, Neil Khera, Zachary Manchester, Diogo Luis, Rui M. Rocha, Rodrigo Ventura

Small Satellite Conference

In this work, we present the PROMETHEUS-1 satellite mission, a 1P PocketQube designed to validate its development pipeline, to perform onboard Machine Learning tasks on photographs taken by onboard cameras, and to evaluate its active Attitude Determination and Control System implementation. PROMETHEUS-1 was developed under a collaborative initiative involving the University of Minho (UM), Instituto Superior Técnico (IST), and Carnegie Mellon University (CMU), conceived to address the current lack of a unified and streamlined infrastructure for low-cost educational satellites. The project covers the lifecycle of a satellite mission, including the development, assembly, licensing, certification, launch, and operation of a flight …