Digital Commons Network^™

Concept Of Operation Logic And Implementation Expectations For Multimode Propulsion Technology Demonstration Missions, Logan Thompson, Michael Harrigan, Theresa Sandborn, Victoria Coverstone, Joshua L. Rovey

Small Satellite Conference

Traditional single-mode propulsion systems are typically optimized for either high-thrust, short-duration maneuvers (chemical propulsion) or high-efficiency, low-thrust operations (electric propulsion). For CubeSats, which are limited by mass, volume, power, and system complexity, carrying separate propulsion systems for each mission phase is often impractical. Multimode propulsion systems overcome this limitation by combining chemical and electric propulsion within a shared architecture, allowing a single spacecraft to perform both rapid maneuvers and efficient long-duration orbit maintenance.

Demonstrating a multimode propulsion system requires more than operating two propulsion modes on the same spacecraft. Shared propellant, feed systems, thermal interactions, power usage, and transitions …

Ice Giant Watch Dog: Cubesat Concept To Monitor Weather On Neptune, Isabela Huckabee, Don Banfield, Nikole Lewis, Elijah Mullens, Abby Boehm

Small Satellite Conference

Why Neptune?

Neptune hosts one of the most dynamic weather systems in the solar system, yet it hasn't been closely observed since the Voyager-2 flyby. Existing observing programs [1,2] are too infrequent to capture the day-to-week timescales on which storms and clouds evolve, but a dedicated CubeSat could fill this gap.

The current project has two goals:

1. Explore the photometric precisions achievable by a CubeSat platform
2. Determine whether the presence of clouds will be detectable by a CubeSat platform

Lighting Up The Moon: A Scheduling Framework For Cislunar Space Based Solar Power Orchestration, Vaibhav Bhosale, Andrew Woo, Ada Gavrilovska, Christopher R. Valenta, Ketan Bhardwaj

Small Satellite Conference

Surviving the Lunar Night

• 14 Earth day lunar nights
• More batteries, more mass, higher cost

Sierasat: A 6u Cubesat Platform For Space-Based Solar Power, Sutharsan Indrakumar, Ahmed Guller, Leann Cwieka, Justin Parry, Minh Nguyen, Kaegan Lucas, Carson Bove, Chaitra Nulu, Myles Thomas, Sophia Jones, Deepak R. Mishra

Small Satellite Conference

Reliance on fossil fuels, combined with the physical limits of ground-based solar arrays, makes a strong case for collecting solar energy in orbit. Earth intercepts roughly 1.4 kW/m² at the top of the atmosphere, but absorption by carbon dioxide and water vapour and atmospheric scattering cut peak surface intensity to about 1.1 kW/m², this results in an over a 20% reduction. While inclination, time of day, and weather restrict that to a narrow band of land for a few hours each day.

The Solar Incident Energy Relay Array (SIERA) is a proposed mission that will create a single 6U CubeSat …

Wildfires And Adolescent Mental Health: A Call To Action, Troy Allan

All Current Publications

Although wildfires affect people across the lifespan, adolescents warrant focused attention because wildfires can disrupt several systems that are especially important during this developmental period, including family relationships, peer networks, schools, routines, housing stability, and a developing sense of safety and identity. This fact sheet provides an overview of current research and a practical response pathway for professionals and families.

Design Improvement And Performance Demonstration Of A Six-Degree-Of-Freedom Thrust Measurement System For High-Precision Formation Flying Missions, Daigo Takasaki, Isamu Moriai, Ten Arai, Kenshin Yamakawa, Keisuke Yorita, Hiroyuki Koizumi, Kimiya Komurasaki

Small Satellite Conference

A six-degree-of-freedom (6-DoF) elastic pendulum thrust stand has been developed for comprehensive measurement of thrust and torque generated by micro-propulsion systems for future formation flying missions. This paper presents ongoing design improvements to the thrust stand, including the introduction of laser-scale displacement sensors and a supported mass design analysis. The analysis considered suspension spring stiffness, spring extension, and vacuum-chamber dimensional constraints. The results indicate that the proposed sensor configuration provides sufficient measurement resolution throughout the investigated design space, while the primary design constraints arise from suspension spring extension and equilibrium spring length. The analysis also provides design guidelines for supporting …

Design And Validation Of A Modular Cubesat Framework For In-Space Assembly, Michael Kuhl, Jonah Goldstein, Kerri Cahoy

Small Satellite Conference

On-orbit assembly enables modular, adaptable satellite architectures that bypass traditional launch volume and deployment response-time constraints. The Orbital Locker (ORLO) project at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology explores this shift in space operations with a prototype-scale demonstration. Standardized satellite sub-U modules are stored within a free-flying mothercraft and assembled on demand by an onboard Cartesian gantry robot, which electrically and mechanically mates the modules into complete 1U and 2U CubeSats as a prototype-scale demonstration. Once assembled, the CubeSat is electrically verified and deployed from the mothercraft into its target orbit.

The ORLO prototype integrates a locker frame, Cartesian gantry robot, …

Design Of A Passive Magnetic Bearing Reaction Wheel For Smallsats And Its Micro-Vibration Performance, Mante Baekeland, Konstantinos Gryllias, Dirk Vandepitte, Cedric Cuypers, Niel Deckers, Tjorven Delabie, René Seiler

Small Satellite Conference

Reaction wheels are a primary source of micro-vibrations aboard satellite platforms, limiting the fine-pointing capability of spacecraft. This paper presents a novel passive magnetic bearing reaction wheel featuring a magnetic–mechanical suspension to reduce operational vibration emissions compared with conventional ball bearing systems. The proposed suspension architecture combines radial permanent magnetic bearings with an axial single-point-contact ball pivot bearing, resulting in a compact, fully passive solution tailored for the SmallSat market. To demonstrate the feasibility of the concept, a hardware prototype was manufactured and tested. Stable operation is achieved across the full operational range up to 4800 rpm. The experimental campaign …

Development Of 4.5 M2 Two-Layer Textile Deployable C-Band Reflectarray Antennas For 100 Kg Satellites, Takuma Komaba, Kodai Suzuki, Kosei Kikuchi, Sonoka Kawashima, Takashi Tomura, Hiraku Sakamoto, Shunsuke Inagaki, Tomoya Takeuchi, Toshiyuki Takahashi

Small Satellite Conference

This paper presents the structural development, fabrication, and broadband design of a 5.8 GHz two-layer textile deployable reflectarray antenna for small satellite applications. Conductive patterns are directly formed on woven textile membranes using printing and plating technologies, enabling the textile surface to function as reflectarray elements while maintaining high stowage efficiency and low mass. For the structural design, an updated configuration incorporating crossbars and multiple catenary segments is proposed to improve robustness against fabrication imperfections and reduce boom loads. A full-scale 4.5 m² prototype is fabricated and successfully deployed, achieving a root-mean-square (RMS) surface error of 0.7 mm under …

Analysis Of Satellite Drag, Orbit Tracking, And Associated Operational Impacts In Very Low Earth Orbit (Vleo), Angela Crews, Adrian Bryant, Nicholas Ratajczyk, Alec Yenawine, Conor Benson, Chris Roseman, Sara Swenson, Greg Furlich, Rick Marcusen, Sierra Flynn, Chris Pankratz, Scott Palo, Iain Boyd, Marcin Pilinski

Small Satellite Conference

Large constellations of SmallSats in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) are now delivering critical capabilities for missions in Earth observation, navigation, and communications. Very Low Earth Orbit (VLEO), defined here as below 400 km altitude, is emerging as a new frontier for SmallSat constellations due to its unique advantages. VLEO offers improved spatial resolution for Earth observations, reduced latency, increased signal power, and a naturally self-cleaning orbital environment. However, operating spacecraft in VLEO is non-trivial as the spacecraft must overcome the residual atmosphere at these altitudes and the resulting increase in aerodynamic drag and atomic oxygen fluence. As interest grows in …

Development, Verification And Operations Of The Technology Demonstration Payloads On The Source-2 Education Mission At The University Of Stuttgart, Marlin Kanzow, Manfred Ehresmann, Daniel Galla, Sabine Klinkner, Aaron Schmidt, Max Bode, Saulius Juodkazis

Small Satellite Conference

The Stuttgart Operated University Research Cubesat for Evaluation and Education 2 (SOURCE-2) mission serves as a student-led hands-on education project at the University of Stuttgart. Developed jointly by the Institute of Space Systems (IRS), and the Student Small Satellite Association (KSat e.V.) at the University of Stuttgart, the mission enables students to apply theoretical knowledge within an interdisciplinary 6U+ CubeSat project while simultaneously serving as a technology demonstration platform for sustainable space technologies. The payload suite targets future On-Orbit Servicing (OOS), Active Debris Removal (ADR), and next-generation small satellite missions. This paper presents the development, verification strategy, and planned in-orbit …

Korucusat-2: Optimizing The Satellite Communication System And Attitude Determination And Control System For Very-Low Earth Orbit, Gianna Goldstein, Carson Burnside-Wheeler, Omer Eski, Ramin Adams

Small Satellite Conference

The KorucuSAT-2 CubeSatellite mission, scheduled for launch in 2027 into a 230-km orbit, is designed around a brief orbital lifetime. This motivates the clear goal of early communication and rapid collection of experimental data within the mission’s limited operational window. CubeSatellites operating in Very Low Earth Orbit (VLEO) can face strong aerodynamic torques and longer detumbling periods. In order to establish early communications and extend the mission’s timeline, a resilient communications system that can operate during the detumbling phase of the mission is needed. The communications system aboard KorucuSAT-2 accomplishes this by using a near-omnidirectional antenna pattern and packet interleaving …

Engineering Model Development Of The Micro Solar Sail Pieris: Single-Motor External-Torque Control And High-Accuracy Sail-Shape Realization, Yusuke Arai, Yusei Kawaguchi, Toshihiro Chujo, Kei Watanabe, Yuki Amaki, Kenichiro Takahashi, Eima Zamami, Kota Saito, Kotaro Yamauchi, Yuya Shiraishi, Shoma Abe, Kenshi Hatada, Moe Yasuda, Sota Sato, Shohei Yamasaki, Matsukawa Ohma, Yota Nakazaki, Hiroki Tanaka, Hisanobu Nomura, Katei Fu, Sora Masaki, Naoya Yamada, Hideo Yoshida, Gen Nakayama, Soma Mori, Takehisa Wada, Takashi Tomura, Hiroki Nakanishi, Yoichi Yatsu, Yasuyuki Miyazaki, Omura Soma, Go Morita, Momoko Fukunaga, Hiroyuki Ono, Takeru Nakamura

Small Satellite Conference

The 40-kg class micro solar sail “PIERIS,” equipped with a 25 m² reflective membrane, will be launched in 2027. This paper explains PIERIS’s mission design, the unique challenges of this satellite system and their solutions, and the current development status. PIERIS will be launched into LEO at approximately 600 km altitude to demonstrate two novel technologies for addressing significant disturbance torques acting on its large membrane surface.

First, it will demonstrate a technology that actively adjusts the offset between the center of action of external torques and the satellite's center of mass to control these torques. PIERIS connects the bus …

System Integration And Pre-Launch Verification Of The Scion-X Mission: Lessons Learned From A High-Fidelity Flatsat Campaign, Binson Shih-Bin Lee, Yu-Shun Wang, Tzu-Wei Hung, Shao-Yu You, Sin-Yu Tsui, I Chen, Yu-Hsiu Tien, Chieh Lung, Yi-Yu Chang, Yi-Chung Chiu, Loren Chang

Small Satellite Conference

The SCION-X (SCintillation and IONosphere eXtended) mission, a 12U CubeSat from National Central University, Taiwan, is scheduled for launch in Q3 of 2026. Designed to perform in-situ ionospheric plasma measurements, hyperspectral aerosol monitoring, and Solar EUV irradiance quantification, the spacecraft integrates a complex multi-payload suite that also includes an amateur radio APRS transponder. As the mission transitions from the Critical Design Review (CDR) phase to flight readiness, the student team implemented a comprehensive FlatSat campaign to bridge the gap between theoretical design and physical reality. This paper presents the "Next on the Pad" status of SCION-X, focusing on the critical …

Flight Path: A Microservices Message-Passing Flight Software Architecture For Cesiumastro Element One Satellite, Dylan Pfeifer, Russell Gleason, Nick Bourdon, David Gholami, Daniel Zilavy, Dan Barrera, John Storey

Small Satellite Conference

The CesiumAstro Element One Satellite, designed for multi-band phased array communications in Low Earth Orbit, required a new approach to satellite flight software. The variety of new devices on the satellite bus, fast-paced development schedule, and combination of in-house and purchased subsystems required flight software to incorporate a mixture of programming languages, a mixture of open source and proprietary software, and a pairing of high Technology Readiness Level (TRL) frameworks with new, first-flight software. To achieve integration, assembly, and test on compressed schedule, the flight software paradigm focused on microservices-brokered access to hardware and a message-passing based coordination between software …

Mirzo Ulugbek 6u Cubesat: Modular Structural Design, Analysis, And Ait For Earth Observation Mission Deployment, Hery Steven Mindarno, Louis Alferd Gauvain Lefort, Khabibullokh Olimjon Ugli Azimjonov, Iwase Tomoya, Aashish Sarode, Chinathip Narongphun, Reynel Josue Galindo Rosales, Mehmet Esit, Hanadi Abdalla, Kaito Hamada, Victor Schulz, Jose Rodrigo Cordova Alarcon, Hirokazu Masui, Takashi Yamauchi, Necmi Cihan Orger, Kentaro Kitamura, Mengu Cho

Small Satellite Conference

The Mirzo Ulugbek satellite is a 6U CubeSat designed for Earth Observation (EO) and equipped with a high-resolution camera system. Developed in collaboration between the Kyushu Institute of Technology (Kyutech) and the Uzbekistan Space Agency, Mirzo Ulugbek will be deployed directly from a launch vehicle into a Sun-Synchronous Orbit (SSO) to enable continuous Earth observation. This paper presents the modular structural design, analysis, and Assembly, Integration, and Testing (AIT) processes that ensure the satellite’s robustness during launch and reliable operation in orbit. The modular design allows efficient integration, disassembly, and reassembly of subsystems, enhancing flexibility during testing. This design approach …

Tasa Cubesat Constellations For Remote Sensing And Communications As Catalysts For Local Innovation And Global Impact, Chia-Ray Chen, Yu-Tang You, Yu-Wei Chiu, Jeffery Lin, Jay Zheng, Eason Wu, Ching-Yuan Lu, Jacky Li, Benson Lin, Ching-En Lo, Samuel Liu, Larry Hung, Keng Chen, Jhih-Hong Lin, Chih-Chung Chiang, Bo-Chuan Lin, Sheng Hua Chen, Shin Chen, Yu-Hsuan Kuo, Li-Wen Yu, Zu-Hung Kuo, Yi-Hsiang Wang, Yu-Chen Wang, Wei-Chih Su, Cheng-Hung Huang, Heng-Yi Lin, Szu-Hsiang Lai, Chang-Heng Wang, Tun-Yen Wu, Yu-Jiu Wang

Small Satellite Conference

The Startup CubeSat Program is a government-supported initiative established to advance Taiwan’s domestic space industry and strengthen national capabilities in small satellite technologies through close collaboration among academia, industry, research organizations, and the Taiwan Space Agency (TASA). Acting as an incubator framework, the program aims to accelerate technological innovation, promote cost-effective satellite development, and foster a sustainable ecosystem for commercial and scientific space activities. The program consists of three representative missions: a remote sensing mission for ocean color imaging (OCI) and fisheries monitoring, an IoT mission providing Ku-band and LoRa-band connectivity services, and a Ka-band communication mission demonstrating broadband satellite …

Operating The Sparcs Space Telescope, Kaitlyn Ashcroft, Daniel Jacobs, Evgenya Shkolnik, Judd Bowman, Matthew Kolopanis, Tahina Ramiaramanantsoa, Joe Dubois, Titu Samson, Maria C. Ladwig, Joshua Sink, Ella Greetis, Paulo Gonzalez Soto, Ysabella Mcauliffe, Lilian Prigge, Aaron Boumias, Ishi Shah, Hetvi Patel, Joseph Dukowitz, David R. Ardila, April Jewell, Mark Swain, Shouleh Nikzad, Christophe Basset, Joe Llama, Paul Scowen, Sarah Peacock, Dawn Gregory, Nathaniel Streubel, Logan Jensen, Johnathan Gamaunt, Travis Barman, Victoria Meadows

Small Satellite Conference

Star-Planet Research CubeSat (SPARCS) is a 6U space telescope dedicated to monitoring flares from low-mass stars in the ultraviolet (UV). SPARCS observations of flares across 20 solar systems will be used to better understand the atmospheric evolution, chemistry, and potential habitability of the most common type of exoplanets. SPARCS’ camera uses delta-doped CCD detectors, which are several times more sensitive in the UV than previous detectors. This is technology necessary for future studies of habitable-worlds and star–planet interactions by future missions, such as NASA’s flagship mission, the Habitable Worlds Observatory. SPARCS orbits in the “6am terminator” orbit, which provides a …

Multi-Modal Detection And Attribution Algorithm For Low Power Edge Compute Hardware, Margaret Michelsen, Jackson Gardner, Shawn Jones, Jackson Kulik, Mario Harper

Small Satellite Conference

We present a multi-modal detection and attribution algorithm for maritime domain awareness designed to execute on low-power FPGA-based edge compute hardware. Spaceborne hyperspectral sensors generate data volumes far exceeding practical downlink capacity, yet the onboard compute platforms available for real-time processing operate within strict power, memory, and radiation constraints. The proposed algorithm fuses RX anomaly scoring, ACE matched filtering, multi-spectral index evaluation, wake-aware spatial scoring, and spectral glint cancellation in a five-stage pipeline designed for hardware-efficient execution. Mixed-precision quantization assigns FP16 arithmetic to covariance-sensitive stages and INT8 to threshold-based spectral computations, achieving a 12.4× model size reduction and 6.1× compute …

Mechanical Design Of A 100-Chipsat Suborbital Deployer For The Descent Mission, Richard Zheng, Ocean Saric, Will Kully, Henry Wolf, Peter Nguyen, Sarah Cooper, Christopher Draikiwicz, Adam Yonas, Joshua Umansky-Castro, Mark Lohatepanont, H. Todd Smith

Small Satellite Conference

DeSCENT (Demonstration of Suborbital ChipSats Ejected from New Shepard Test Flight) aims to deploy 100 ChipSats –gram-scale spacecraft– from Blue Origin’s New Shepard launch vehicle. Led by students of the Cornell University Space Systems Design Studio in collaboration with JHU-APL, the experiment characterizes ChipSat dispersion and free-fall kinematics from the K´arm´an line while exploring their potential for distributed sensing for atmospheric science. This paper outlines the design, integration, and test of the ChipSat deployer to be mounted on the New Shepard propulsion module in coordination with the JHU-APL JANUS payload. Details are shared on the overall mechanical design, driven by …

Lunar Intelligent Navigation Neural Architecture (Linna), Gleisson Bezerra, Pedro Fernandes Varela, Felipe Oliveira Tavares, Renan Guilherme Menezes, Lidia Shibuya Sato, Luis Eduardo Loures

Small Satellite Conference

This paper presents the design and preliminary validation of the Lunar Intelligent Navigation Neural Architecture (LINNA) payload, a technology demonstration integrated into the SelenITA mission—Brazil’s first lunar CubeSat. The experiment is motivated by the future needs for autonomous state estimation in the Very Low Lunar Orbit (VLLO) regime, where Mascon-induced gravitational anomalies challenge traditional inertial-only navigation. The primary goal of LINNA is to evaluate the feasibility of conducting onboard, vision-based positioning as a future auxiliary system for autonomous Guidance, Navigation, and Control (GNC). LINNA operates as a standalone technological experiment, using a nadir-pointing optical sensor to capture lunar surface data …

The Solar Neutrino And Astro-Particle Physics (Snappy) Cubesat Development, Brian M. Sutin, Edward Bierens, Brian Doty, Atri Dutta, Jonathan Folkerts, Brooks Hartsock, Kyle Messick, Holger Meyer, Daniel Reichart, Nick Solomey, Mark Crystal, Miguel Rodriguez-Otero, Evgeny Kuznetsov, Robert Mctaggart, James Cutler, Joel Steinkraus, Jose G. Rivera

Small Satellite Conference

The SNAPPY CubeSat, which was launched May 3, 2026, will demonstrate and space qualify the νSol neutrino-detection technology. The NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) program funded the νSol study to determine the scientific and technical challenges associated with a solar neutrino detector operating in close orbit around the Sun, such as a Parker Solar Probe–like orbit at 7 solar radii and potentially as close as 3 solar radii. This program began in 2017 and has continued with funding from NIAC and NASA’s Heliophysics Division. The νSol technology detects solar neutrinos using a gallium isotope which decays by …

Neutron-2: A Dual Cubesat Mission For Three-Dimensional Mapping Of Neutron Radiation In Low Earth Orbit, Miguel Nunes, Piper Kline, Kenoi Salvador, Peter Englert, William Edmonson, Craig Hardgrove, Erik B. Johnson

Small Satellite Conference

Neutron interactions in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) remain a poorly characterized component of the space radiation environment, despite their potential to significantly impact spacecraft electronics, materials, and crew health. Unlike primary charged particles, most neutrons in LEO are secondary products generated when high-energy protons and heavy ions from galactic cosmic rays or solar energetic particle events interact with atoms and molecules in Earth’s atmosphere. The production rate of these secondary neutrons is strongly dependent on atmospheric density, which varies with altitude, geomagnetic position, and solar activity, leading to spatial and temporal variability that is not well captured by current radiation …

Flight Model Development And Initial Operational Results Of The Rapid Alert Demonstration Satellite Arica-2, Hayato Mabuchi, Takanori Sakamoto, Motoko Serino, Shuntaro Morikawa, Shion Nojima, Rento Okita, Satoshi Moriyama, Seiya Shigeoka, Teruaki Enoto

Small Satellite Conference

AGU Remote Innovative CubeSat Alert System-2 (ARICA-2) is a 2U CubeSat designed to demonstrate rapid alerts for transient astrophysical events such as gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) by utilizing commercial satellite communications. Because GRBs are difficult to predict and have very short durations, immediate detection and rapid alert dissemination to enable follow-up observations by other instruments are critically important for understanding these phenomena. This satellite aims to address this challenge by adopting commercial satellite communication systems as its alert transmission method. The spacecraft is equipped with commercial satellite communication terminals, including Iridium SBD and Globalstar STX-3. The onboard computer (OBC) is Sony's …

Operational Challenges And Lessons Learned For Very Low Earth Orbit Cubesats, Adrian Bryant, Angela Crews, Sierra Flynn, Scott Gennari, Marcin Pilinksi, Nicholas Ratajczyk

Small Satellite Conference

Interest in Very Low Earth Orbit (VLEO) for small satellite applications has surged in the past half-decade, from industry, scientific, and governmental institutions. Operating at VLEO altitudes is incredibly challenging. The density of the residual atmosphere, and therefore the drag force experienced, grows exponentially as the orbital altitude decreases. The high-drag environment complicates orbit determination, minimizes anomaly response time, increases momentum management requirements, and may require significant re-concepting of operations. The Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP) SmallSat Operations (SMOPS) group had the unique opportunity to partner with the University of Colorado Boulder National Security Initiatives (CU NSI) and …

Results From Nasa’S Distributed Spacecraft Autonomy Project’S Extended Mission On Starling, Caleb Adams, Michael Iatauro, Brian Kempa, K. Michael Dalal, Sergei Gridnev, Michael Ho, Caroline Lassiter

Small Satellite Conference

The Distributed Spacecraft Autonomy (DSA) experiments on Starling 1.0 marked a significant milestone as the first demonstration of fully autonomous distributed operations on multiple spacecraft. DSA demonstrated the ability to adapt to measurements of Total Electron Content (TEC) and visibility of GPS satellites in a fully distributed autonomous manner. In subsequent experiments, DSA 1.5 focused on improving its science proxy towards a higher fidelity data product computed at the edge, as well as addressing emergent autonomy needs from Starling 1.0, particularly local autonomy and robust crosslink data transfer.

The purpose of improving the TEC measurement was to demonstrate that high-quality …

Successful Deployment Of The First Free-Flying Light Sail: Results From The Cornell University Alpha Cubesat Mission, Joshua Umansky-Castro, Jonathan Ma, Duncan Mcdonald, Damian Hackett, Zach Garcia, Lauren Greenhill, Eric Zhang, Cameron Goddard, Y. Deemo Chen, Matthew Hurford, Apurva Hanwadikar, Grace Tang, Gillis Lowry, Mason Peck, Andrew Filo, Alex Burke

Small Satellite Conference

Alpha CubeSat is a mission led by students of the Cornell University Space Systems Design Studio to deploy a ChipSat-equipped free-flying retroreflective light sail in LEO. The spacecraft launched with NASA CSLI on the NG-23 ISS cargo resupply mission on September 14th, 2025 and deployed from the space station as part of NRCSD-29 on December 2nd, 2025. The mission was a success, with all primary mission objectives accomplished. This paper presents the mission results, with insights into the critical decision-making made within the first 48hrs of the mission to deploy and establish contact with the light sail payload. From conception …

Ground-Based Magnetic Attitude Determination For Low-Cost Cubesat Missions, Johnny Mccaskill, Evan Jellison, Jackson Holden, Blagoy Rangelov

Small Satellite Conference

Spacecraft Attitude Determination

Attitude is the orientation of a spacecraft relative to an inertial or Earth-fixed frame and is essential for:

• Communication alignment

• Payload pointing

• Stable spacecraft control

Existing Methods & Limitations

Traditional attitude determination systems use multiple sensors, including:

• Star trackers (high accuracy)

• Gyroscopes (rate tracking, drift-prone)

• Sun sensors and magnetometers (coarse estimates)

These systems are typically combined through sensor fusion to achieve high precision. However, they introduce significant challenges for CubeSats:

• High cost and power consumption

• Increased system complexity

• Larger mass and integration requirements

Proposed Approach

This work explores …

A Resilient-By-Design Command & Data Bus Architecture For Small Satellites, Jay Deorukhkar, Peter W. Pachowicz

Small Satellite Conference

As the proliferation of small satellites continues at a staggering rate, so does the mission complexity and criticality of ensuring reliability throughout the satellite bus. Specifically, the command and data bus connecting subsystems within a small satellite can experience radiation-induced faults that potentially derail the satellite’s intended operation, necessitating architecture- and protocol-level fault management. This paper presents an innovative ”Resilient-by-design” communication bus that incorporates a dual-hot redundant architecture and an intelligent, adaptive protocol to coordinate messages and manage faults in an autonomous, self-recoverable manner.

R5 Spacecraft 7, 9, And 10: Proximity Operations, Optical Comm, And Edge Compute, Sam Pedrotty, James Berck, Jack Wisbiski, Kelly Mann, Andrzej Jackowski, Jacob Nunez-Kearny, Robin Onsay, Faheem Quazi, Thomas Kirven, Rob Stoddard, Jordan Fogg, Roger Hunter, Anup Parikh, Alex Bongiovanni, Shrusti Jain, Cassidy Kuehl, Kyle Merry, Luke Duffield

Small Satellite Conference

The Realizing Rapid, Reduced-cost high-Risk Research (R5) project has designed, assembled, integrated, tested, delivered, and launched three spacecraft with three unique missions in fiscal year 2026. Each spacecraft has applied lessons learned from the prior to enhance the cost and schedule reductions of the R5 process while reducing risk and maximizing spacecraft capabilities. Spacecraft 7 (R5-S7) completed suborbital proximity operations around a Falcon 9 upper stage in November of 2025 using an industrial LiDAR for relative navigation. Spacecraft 10 (R5-S10) launched on Transporter 16 and is intended to build on R5-S7’s mission by completing proximity operations in orbit around a …