Digital Commons Network^™

Hardening Ubuntu For Small Satellite Applications, Matt Palmer, Ryan Goodner, Tyler Jordan, Rich Hunt

Small Satellite Conference

No abstract provided.

FusebloxTm: Development And Specifications Of A Small Form-Factor, Robust Interface For In-Space Docking And Commodity Transfer, Kevin J. Okseniuk

Small Satellite Conference

No abstract provided.

Adaptive Antenna Elevation Masking For Smallsat Constellations, Billy Gullotta, Chris Barsoum, Maggie Sleziak-Sallee, Ronald Smilek

Small Satellite Conference

No abstract provided.

Design And Testing Of A Resilient Cots Point Of Load Converter For Deep Space Cubesats, Jacob Cook, Phil Bland, Robert Howie

Small Satellite Conference

To support the development of the upcoming Binar Space Program 12U Explorer Class platform, currently being designed for lunar and interplanetary research applications, the design and testing of a modular Gallium Nitride (GaN) based Point of Load (PoL) converter is being undertaken. The converter has been designed to supply power to high-transient-current loads, such as communications systems, by regulating down a higher voltage derived from a range of common CubeSat battery configurations to a target voltage of 5V. The system consists of parallel-connected linear regulator and buck converter stages which deliver power to the load through a high-side current sense …

Very Low Swap-C Robotics Using Autodynamic Flexible Circuits, Jerome K. Fuller, Todd F. Sheerin

Small Satellite Conference

Spacecraft robotic appendages typically reflect terrestrial robots in that they are usually based on boom-and-joint designs. Here we present a radical departure from tradition in the form of an Autodynamic Flexible Circuit (AFC). While their more static flexible (flex) circuit progenitors have been used in space for decades, they are usually fixed, or are moved only by external forces. Here, a specific lacing of shape memory alloy actuator wire endows an otherwise-ordinary flex circuit with dexterous motion, to be positioned on command. AFCs have thus far been demonstrated in the laboratory and in space at < 1U and 6U CubeSat scales, stowing flat in a practically two-dimensional configuration. Selected applications envisioned include orbital debris mitigation, in-space servicing, assembly, and manufacturing, extraterrestrial exploration systems, individual payload and spacecraft subsystem pointing, and large area, reconfigurable deployables. As such, AFCs promise a new era in low size, weight, power, and cost space robotics and space systems by enabling circuits to function both as conduits for electricity and a means of articulating large area, low mass structures.

Adaptive Raw Sar Data Compression Using Machine Learning Enhanced Block Adaptive Quantization, Craig Hay, Cameron Anderson, Lucy Donnell, Murray Ireland, Mehrdad Yaghoobi

Small Satellite Conference

Earth observation (EO) data plays a crucial role in climate monitoring, disaster response, asset management, and security, with synthetic aperture radar (SAR) data being particularly valuable. The ability of SAR to generate dense time series, unaffected by cloud cover or darkness, makes it ideal for monitoring applications. The commercial SAR sector has experienced significant recent growth, providing increasing amounts of data through advancements in quantity, quality, frequency, and dissemination. However, challenges in data management have emerged due to the volume of data captured by modern SAR instruments, surpassing satellite downlink capacities.

The Adaptive SAR Signal Compression Through Artificial Intelligence (SARAI) …

Machine Learning Models For Optimisation Of Satellite Laser Communication Terminals And Optical Space Networks, Georgia Harvey, Cameron Anderson, Murray Ireland, Rob Hunter, Afonso Nunes, Rob Stansfield

Small Satellite Conference

Laser communication systems in optical SatCom systems are mainly used in point-to-point networks, possibly deploying standard routing solutions which perform sub-optimally when deployed in transport and access satellite networks. Optical signal acquisition is also affected by the changing satellite environment and atmospheric conditions.

In response, Craft Prospect and partners focused on upgrading optical systems by using machine learning (ML) methods to improve laser communication terminals and to simplify interconnectivity of networked laser SatCom systems. In this context we target the European OPS-SAT Versatile Optical Laboratory for Telecoms (VOLT) mission led by Craft Prospect and the European High Throughput Optical Network …

Techedsat-11: Prototyping Autonomous Communications In Orbit, Rachel Dudukovich, Adam Gannon, Janette Briones, Timothy Recker, Patrick Zhong, Kyle Deleon, Lucas Shalkhauser, Ethan Schweinsberg, Evan Danish, Alejandro Salas, Marcus Murbach

Small Satellite Conference

Cognitive Engine 1 (CE-1) Is a state-of-the-art automated system designed to manage routine operations and respond to adverse events without requiring human operator input. CE-1 will optimize scheduling capabilities, detect and react to link failures, and ensure data delivery deadlines are met efficiently. Seamless roaming between government and commercial providers will allow for a robust and cost-effective network. TechEdSat-11 will demonstrate two key components of CE-1: User Initiated Services (UIS) and Delay Tolerant Networking (DTN). The first phase of the experiment will use UIS to automate on-demand scheduling of a commercial S-band ground station. Later phases of the experiment will …

Autonomous Multi-Mission Orchestration For Small Satellite Constellations, Skylar Cox, Thomas Kost, David Fish, Jonathan Maier

Small Satellite Conference

The accelerating proliferation of space vehicles in LEO presents a significant operational and security challenge in coordinating operations between vehicles and across constellations. The growing operational complexity demands a reliable automation approach capable of orchestrating multiple agents, potentially across different domains. No longer is it sufficient to automate a single vehicle in isolation since many of the tasks being conducted by these constellations require cross-schedule coordination. To address the current operational demands and limitations, the Multi-Mission Orchestrator, or MMO, provides a methodology and framework for coordinating space vehicle operations and secure data transfers across heterogeneous constellations and even multi-domain systems …

Maximizing Autonomy On A Small Satellite Platform, Per Bodin, Danilo Costales, Anders Edfors

Small Satellite Conference

OHB Sweden's future generation InnoSat microsatellite platforms will see a large upgrade in the platform's functionality maximizing onboard autonomy. In this paper, three development lines will be presented each contributing to maximizing efficiency and autonomy on a small satellite platform.

The InnoSat platform is a flexible platform concept with a recurring catalog of units, recurrent onboard software and mission control software, and heritage AIT processes. Two InnoSat missions are currently flying: Swedish National Space Agency's MATS and the commercial bring-into-use satellite GMS-T. Two more InnoSat derived missions will be launched in 2024: ESA's Arctic Weather Satellite and Satlantis' Garai-A. In …

Capstone: An Ongoing Demonstration Of Navigation And Autonomy Technologies In The Cislunar Domain, Tom Gardner, Brad Cheetham, Matt Bolliger, Michael Caudill, Lauren Demoudt, Alec Forsman, Tyler Hanf, Arlen Kam, Ethan Kayser, Conner Ott, Nathan Re, Rebecca Rogers, Anthony Zara, Hannah Umansky, Kyle Clarke, Brennan Bryant, Tomas Svitek

Small Satellite Conference

NASA, Advanced Space, Terran Orbital, Rocket Lab, Stellar Exploration, JPL, the Space Dynamics Lab, and Tethers Unlimited have partnered to successfully develop, launch, and operate the Cislunar Autonomous Positioning System Technology Operations and Navigation Experiment (CAPSTONE) mission, which is continuing serving as a dedicated precursor for Near Rectilinear Halo Orbit (NHRO) operations in cislunar space. Over the past 26 months, this low-cost, high-value mission has demonstrated an efficient, low-energy orbital transfer to the Moon, a successful insertion into the NRHO, and completion of ~21 months of successful operations in the NRHO while successfully demonstrating key technologies in support of the …

Ensemble Learning For Autonomous Onboard Satellite Fault Diagnosis With Validation Tool, Madeline Anderson, Jeremy Muesing, Kerri Cahoy, Kenneth Center

Small Satellite Conference

In-orbit events and onboard malfunctions, often manifesting as telemetry faults, can compromise satellite missions. Monitoring such faults through ground operations is time intensive and tedious, motivating the need for advanced onboard and autonomous satellite resilience capabilities, which will increase the likelihood of mission success. We present a novel approach for onboard autonomous satellite fault diagnosis that leverages ensemble learning to jointly detect faults and attribute them to a probable cause. The framework consists of an ensemble of representation learners, including an Autoencoder (AE), Kalman Filter (KF), Gaussian Mixture Model (GMM), Long Short Term Memory network (LSTM), and the PCMCI causal …

Development Of An Automatic Production Line For Pva With A Capacity Of 200.000 Solar Cells Per Year, Miguel Ángel Vásquez, Vicente Díaz, Ismael Sánchez, Agustín Torres

Small Satellite Conference

DHV Technology has developed a complete production line for photovoltaic assemblies (PVA) with a capacity of 200,000 solar cells per year. This development involved creating automatic equipment, qualifying new processes, and integrating and commissioning all these elements. DHV Technology has successfully implemented two automatic systems: the automatic inspection of solar cells (AISC) and the automatic welding process for string formation (AWSF)

Space Cyber Range, Kristiina Omri, Mirjam Kert, Aare Reintam, Silver Lodi, Lauri Kimmel, Martin Jüssi, Hannes Krause

Small Satellite Conference

The Space Cyber Range aims to increase the reliability and security of industry participants solutions while promoting education and knowledge sharing within the space ecosystem.

Decentralised Communication In Small Satellite Constellations, Tülay Aydin, Gabi Dreo Rodosek

Small Satellite Conference

Decentralised communication networks between CubeSats offer significant advantages over traditional ground-based systems. This approach increases resilience, flexibility and scalability for applications such as earth observation and space exploration.

Industry Survey Of Small Satellite Deployable Radiator Technology, T. Madison, A. Agramonte-Moreno, A. Delgado, J. Mchale

Small Satellite Conference

The space industry is moving toward small satellites with more capability. With increased capability comes the need to dissipate additional heat. As form factors decrease in size deployable radiators provide a viable solution. A survey of 11 different technologies was conducted and performance metrics compared.

Electromagnetic Interactions Test Procedure For A Centre-Triggered Pulsed Cathodic Arc Thruster, Patrick R. C. Neumann, Steven Despotellis, Hervé Astier, Jean-Mark Walter, Peter Van Gemert, Saloa Ali, Simon Gallasch, Martin Mielczarek

Small Satellite Conference

All electronic systems, no matter their type or technology, generate electromagnetic noise during operation. Conversely, all electronic systems are susceptible to the noise emissions of other systems, where these emissions can induce off-nominal system behaviour, potentially leading to system failure. This drives test procedure standardisation, to ensure confidence in test results, growing confidence in mission success by applying standards such as MIL-STD-461G [1]. However, all standards are based on assumptions which inherently limit their applicability. In the case of MIL-STD-461G, an underlying assumption is that the operating modes of the Device Under Test (DUT) reach steady-state quickly.

Thermal Performance Of Starling Spacecrafts And Comparison To Thermal Model Results, Ali Kashani, Scott Miller, Terry Stevenson, Jeffrey Blair, Watson Attai, Jennifer Young, David Brasser, Reece Whitt

Small Satellite Conference

The Starling mission consists of four 6U CubeSats launched in July 2023 to test several technologies that could enable future swarm missions. The Starling experiment payload is comprised of a Xiphos Q7S processor, a C&DH/power board called the Bus Interface Card (BIC), and CesiumAstro's CommPack radio that enables crosslink communication amongst the spacecrafts in the swarm. The CommPack radio is itself comprised of an S-band Software Defined Radio (SDR) and two Transmit Receive Modules (TRMs) with integrated patch antennas.

Ultra-Broadband Uncooled Infrared Camera Core For Multi-Spectral And Far-Infrared Earth, Lunar, And Planetary Observation, Francis Généreux, Francis Picard, Hélène Spisser, Alfredo Tomas, Antoine Letourneau, Bruno Fisette, Christian Proulx, Louis Martin, Timothy Pope, Christine Alain, Patrice Côté, Patrice Topart

Small Satellite Conference

This paper reports on a unique solution for thermal imagery in the Earth Observation (EO) commercial space market. The High-Definition Infrared Space Camera Core (HDISCC) is based on INO's uncooled 1024x768 pixel 14 µm physical pixels, and broadband mid-wave to far-infrared (up to 100 µm wavelength with a gold black coating) with 28 µm physical pixels. In each case, stripe filters may be included in the sensor package to provide detection in multiple spectral bands. For example, in a push-broom implementation, a single camera can cover multiple mid-wave and long-wave infrared bands. The Camera Core contains the interface and proximity …

Link Budget Design For Free Space Optical Communication, Elsa Alneyadi, Karim Elayoubi

Small Satellite Conference

Free space optical (FSO) communication is an innovative wireless technology that employs light to transmit data through the air. Unlike traditional radio frequency communication, FSO systems offer high bandwidth, low interference, and secure data transmission. However, designing an effective link budget for FSO communication is crucial to ensure reliable performance across various scenarios. This includes accounting for factors such as atmospheric conditions, distance, and optical components.

Standardized Star Tracker Characterization Test Bench - Evaluation Results Using The Astro Cl As An Example, Duncan Robert Hamill, Christophe Arnoult, Philippe Vidal, Steffen Hahn

Small Satellite Conference

Star sensors are crucial for satellite navigation, providing precise attitude determination necessary for mission success. ASTRO CL is a new-generation star tracker developed by Jena-Optronik, designed to be smaller and more cost-effective for satellite constellation markets.

Zero By Interstellar Technologies Inc.: Lowering The Cost Of Access To Space From Japan, Lui Suzuki, Satoshi Nakayama, Kazumi Sakai

Small Satellite Conference

The demand for small satellite launch opportunities continues to increase year by year, especially the demand for low-cost and flexible access. With various missions, requirements, and constraints, many small satellites require dedicated launches to reach the desired orbit at the desired schedule. Although options such as rideshares and lower-cost dedicated launches are more common compared to years before, the demand for small satellite launch services remains high. This trend is also apparent in Japan and other Asian countries as currently, there are only few opportunities to launch from the local region. To address this shortage, Interstellar Technologies Inc. based in …

The Intelligent Space Camera On The "Call To Adventure" Smallsat Mission, Aubrey Dunne, Tamim Doozandeh, Rosana Rodríguez-Bobada Aranda, Juan Romero Cañas, David González Bermúdez, Peter O'Connor, David Rijlaarsdam

Small Satellite Conference

In March 2024, the first Intelligent Space Camera (ISC) from Ubotica Technologies was launched on the Apex "Call to Adventure" small satellite mission. The ISC is a designed-for-space camera payload with hardware acceleration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Computer Vision (CV) algorithms integrated directly into the camera. Deployable as a self-contained unit within a spacecraft, the ISC manages and executes various processes autonomously and internally without external dependencies, enabling new AI-driven automation-based paradigms and capabilities for space systems. This short paper describes the novel payload, its capabilities, and the mission it is flying on.

Simultaneous Filament Winding And In Situ Potting Of Custom High-Temperature Electromagnets (Htem) For Space Electric Propultion Applications, Jim Steppan, Tom Meaders, Byron Millet, Lee Sorensen

Small Satellite Conference

Electric propultion that uses electrical energy to accelerate ionized propellant and delivers very high specific impulse is the leading propultion solution for long-duration space missions.

3d-Printed Polymer-Based Conformal Space Radiation Shield With Heat Dissipation, Yue Xiao, An Zou, David Carlson, Sam Hanson, Aminur Rahman, Robert B. Hayes, Pu Zhang

Small Satellite Conference

No abstract provided.

Can You Build That? Analyzing The Data On The Role Of Intellectual Property (Ip) In Developing Smallsat And Automated Technologies, Tom Cowan, Ryan Freedman

Small Satellite Conference

Example data on IP related to SmallSat and automation technologies. About 38% of all patent application filings on SmallSats are in the U.S. – with about a 4X increase in U.S. filings in the last decade – followed by China (19%), Japan (10%), and Germany (9%). Universities leading in SmallSat filings are overwhelmingly in China and the U.S. The number of U.S. patent applications filed on "AI" and "SmallSats" roughly tripled from about 2013-2023. Patents and other IP rights are double-edged swords for technologies, both providing the right to prevent unauthorized use of your innovations while imposing responsibilities to avoid …

A Methodology For Cost Effective Radiation Characterization Of Cots Hardware For Space Use, Jeremy Myers, Michael Campola, Brent Kennamer

Small Satellite Conference

When humanity returns to the lunar surface, the opportunity to capture inspiring imagery like the Earthrise photo will depend on the technical performance of the Handheld Universal Lunar Camera (HULC). Proper testing and development of the COTS imagery system for the Artemis Lunar Surface mission will help ensure HULC is ready for its moment to shine. Radiation environments are challenging for modern electronics. Without a cost-effective means of performing radiation tests, the HULC would not be ready when its Earthshine opportunity arises. While COTS products provide a cheap and easy solution for many space applications, most are susceptible to ionizing …

The Necessity Of Developing Lighter, Smaller, And More Efficient Power Modules For Smallsats, Terri Zimmerman, Jason Stange

Small Satellite Conference

No abstract provided.

An Open-Source Python-Based Coding Strategy For Efficiently Developing Test Software For Cubesats, Paula Do Vale Pereira, Felipe Depine, Roberto Bucher

Small Satellite Conference

pysimCoder could be a time-efficient, user-friendly, open-source way of writing ground test software for CubeSats.

Concept And Feasibility Of Enabling Broadband Comunication To A Remote Sensing Satellite, Fong-Yu Chen, Chieh-Fu Chang

Small Satellite Conference

Traditional remote sensing satellites uses X-band transmitter (XTX) to dump large volume of image data in a high data rate, i. e., greater than 100Mbps. Since the need and trend of low-earth-orbit (LEO) communications arise, we wonder if we can improve the usefulness of a remote sensing satellite by upgrading the inherent XTX as a X-band transceiver (XTRX), so that a remote sensing satellite can incorporate additional broadband communication functionality. This work investigates the feasibility in three perspectives with the illustration of FORMOSAT-8, an optical remote sensing satellite.

First, from the perspective of antenna and RF chain, the downlink band …