Digital Commons Network^™

Lessons Learned From The Hyvrid 3u Cubesat Development, Kim Jee Hoon

Small Satellite Conference

Space Object Surveillance System 

• Hanwha Systems’ Next Generation Satellite Laser Ranging (NGSLR) uses the turnaround time of laser emitted from the ground to measure precise distance of satellites or space objects.  
• It is also capable of precise orbit prediction and active response by utilizing high-energy laser. 

Verification Satellite

• CubeSat HYVRID is made to operate as a target satellite of the NGSLR system, verifying the laser ranging, precise orbit prediction, and active response technology.
  • GPS raw data
  • laser detection data
  • images captured before-and-after active response

Microcontroller Debugging Efficiency For Low Cost Cubesat Missions, Koowum Joshi, Tyler Nielson, Tyler Field, Aaron Bounias, Michael Goryll

Small Satellite Conference

This study evaluates the debugging efficiency of different microcontrollers for CubeSat applications by using a “debugging box” system that links two devices to detect faulty code. It compares latency, reliability, and cost to identify the most effective low-cost option. The goal is to improve accessibility to space technologies.

Multi-Phase Guidance And Control For Small Satellite Docking Via Deep Reinforcement Learning, Tanner Gill, Greg Furlich, Nisar Ahmed

Small Satellite Conference

As interest in small satellite Rendezvous, Proximity Operations, and Docking (RPOD) grows, so does the need for high-level autonomy in space systems. Current systems relying on constrained hardware and ground-in-the-loop decision-making are ill-equipped for the evolving, contested space domain. Recent research on autonomous spacecraft guidance and control has moved beyond established optimal control and trajectory optimization methods to incorporate Reinforcement Learning (RL), though these efforts have predominantly focused on a single operational phase. This research advances small satellite docking autonomy by formulating the reference scenario as a Hierarchical Markov Decision Process (H-MDP), expanding the scope of the learned guidance and …

Numerical Characterization Of Phase Coherence In Distributed Smallsat Sar Interferometry, Cameron Kaminski

Small Satellite Conference

Distributed SmallSat SAR requires independent spacecraft to maintain phase coherence over long integration times. This work presents a Monte Carlo simulation that combines manufacturer-derived oscillator phase noise, spacecraft thermal dynamics, and orbital perturbations to evaluate passive coherence limits. The results show that oscillator quality alone is insufficient; differential thermal-state evolution becomes a dominant driver of long-duration coherence performance.

Polarization-Modulated Laser Satellite Experiment (Pulse-A) Thermal Control, Zane Ebel, Alexavier Moore, Samy Kouidri, Veryan Johnson, Robert Pitu, Juan Ignacio Prieto Asbun, Tian Zhong

Small Satellite Conference

• UChicago's first student-developed satellite, started in September 2023
• Accepted under Batch 15 of NASA's CubeSat Launch Initiative (CSLI) in March 2024
• 3U CubeSat demonstrating space-to-ground optical downlink using circular polarization shift keying (CPolSK)
• LEO, 400-500 km, ~90 min orbit
• Preparing for Critical Design Review in Fall 2026

Aggiesat6 University Cubesat Ops Prep And Leops, Avery G. Barriga, Garrett M. Stevenson, John F. Connolly

Small Satellite Conference

AggieSat6 (AGS6) is a 6U CubeSat designed and developed by students at Texas A&M University (TAMU) as part of the University Nanosatellite Program (UNP) NS-10 cycle. The mission will demonstrate a space-based radio frequency array for Space Domain Awareness (SDA) applications and collect low-energy electron radiation data to improve existing environmental models. Beginning in January 2025, students at TAMU established mission operations architecture, implemented operator training and certification, and prepared to assume sole responsibility for on-orbit operations. The AggieSat6 bus launched into Low Earth Orbit (LEO) in April of 2026. The AGS6 Mission was supported by the University Nanosatellite Program. …

Experimental Analysis Of Cryptography Overhead For Secure Cubesat Telemetry, Tyler Field, Michael Goryll

Small Satellite Conference

Encryption consumes critical and limited resources, such as computing power, energy, and memory. Results from this research has helped SquidSat, a student-led 3u CubeSat launching sometime in 2027-2028, by providing data showing which microcontrollers are most effective for encryption algorithms.

Forecast-Aware Formation Initialization For High-Revisit Vleo Imaging, Mina Khalilzadeh Fathi, Zachary Wrensch, Chaoying Pei

Small Satellite Conference

Very-low Earth orbit (≲ 300 km) enables high-resolution imaging with smaller optics. A leader/follower pair can halve the revisit gap by maintaining precise along-track phasing. 

At 250 km, even a small ballistic-coefficient mismatch amplified by geomagnetic storms drives a phasing error that grows quadratically in time and closes the imaging window within days. 

• Conventional methods focus on formation keeping and react to density after the fact. 
• We act before the drift grows: a density forecast is used to choose both the handover phase and the optimal time to reverse the drift. 

F Prime To Flight Faster: Hardware-In-The-Loop Continuous Integration For Accelerated Cubesat Development, Nate Gay, Saidi Adams, Michael Pham

Small Satellite Conference

Flight software teams iterate quickly in development and then slow down at integration, because the software must be validated against real hardware that is itself still changing. 

Bench testing is manual, intermittent, and happens late. Defects surface days after the commit that caused them, once the context is gone and the change has been built on.

Promoting Assured Formation Flight Autonomy Onboard Resource Constrained Systems, Ryan Johnson, Maggie Michelsen, Jackson Gardner, Mario Harper, Charles Swenson, Jackson Kulik, Shawn Jones

Small Satellite Conference

Autonomously determining fuel-optimal, formation-keeping trajectories for small spacecraft operating in formation flight is often limited by available processing power. Because SmallSat missions are constrained by size, weight, and power (SWaP), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) are an attractive option for onboard computing. Traditional formation-keeping relies on convex optimization to solve for fuel-optimal burns and burn times; however, implementing these solvers on FPGAs is challenging due to limited board resources.

To address the need for fast, reliable trajectory planning onboard space vehicles, we investigate leveraging machine learning to reduce computational cost for real-time, onboard execution. We propose using a deep neural network …

Propellant-Free Formation Keeping Using Environmental Perturbations In Leo Via Orbital Angular Momentum Vector Matching, Yu Seike, Takaya Inamori, Keita Tanaka

Small Satellite Conference

Small-satellite formation flying enables new mission capabilities.

e.g. MIMO (Multi Input Multi Output) Communication

Challenge: Conventional formation keeping requires thrusters. Small satellites have limited onboard resources.

Plasma Magnet Propulsion For Smallsat Deep Space Missions: Scaling Laws, Trajectory Analysis, And A Path To Flight Demonstration, Surya S. Kalluri

Small Satellite Conference

The plasma magnet uses a rotating magnetic field (RMF) to drive azimuthal currents in ambient plasma, inflating a spacecraft dipole to kilometre scale so momentum is taken directly from the solar wind. Using plasma currents in place of physical coil proposed for similar concepts previously like Magnetosail, M2P2 etc., eliminates the constraints on size and dynamic pressure of seed plasma. Because the inflated plasma — not a structure — sets the obstacle size, thrust is independent of distance from sun while the required power falls as the antenna grows. Earlier experiments showed >10 kA driven currents, inflation beyond ten coil …

Bcon-2 Operations And Pre-Flight Testing, Kenny Blanton, Brayden Kuchenbacker, Dan White

Small Satellite Conference

As part of the Dream Big Phase I mission, Valpo Space Program’s (VSP) satellite BCON-2 is a 0.5U ThinSat CubeSat designed by NearSpace Launch (NSL).

Dimensions: 0.5U ThinSat (10 cm × 10 cm × 5 cm).

• Comms/MCU Board: STM-32 based PocketQube satellite board that utilizes an AX5043 transceiver to manage VHF/UHF radio communications and subsystem connectivity via CAN bus.
• ADCS Payload: Collaborative flight of the University of Luxembourg’s (UniLu) Space Systems Engineering (SpaSys) system; features their PCB-embedded tri-axial magnetorquer coils Attitude Determination and Control System (ADCS).
• Square Koch Fractal Antenna: The RF systems remain inactive for this mission due to …

Lead Together: Amplifying The Nursing Voice In Public Media And Discourse, Richard Ricciardi

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Nurses stand as the largest and most trusted healthcare workforce, yet their perspectives remain vastly underrepresented in global mass and social media. Despite accounting for fewer than 4% of quoted sources in health news, nurses have unparalleled insight into patient care, public health, and systemic challenges. By cultivating targeted knowledge, media engagement skills, and strategic media literacy, nurses can transform from behind-the-scenes providers into powerful public advocates. Equipping nurses to speak confidently and clearly with journalists, leverage digital storytelling platforms, and publish thought leadership pieces not only uplifts nursing as a profession, but also enhances health literacy, informs policy, and …

A Culturally Tailored Soap Opera (Telenovela) Intervention To Reduce Hiv Risk Among Latinas, Natalia Andrea Villegas Rodriguez, Baiming Zou, Yuanyuan Yan, Clare Barrington, Saif Khairat, Evelyn Iriarte, Christine Toledo, Nilda Peragallo, Laika Maganga, Susana Barroso, Daniel Santisteban, Rosina Cianelli

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Introduction: HIV continues to disproportionately affect Latinas in the U.S.(1) However, referrals to HIV testing and Preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP) remain low (2). Telenovelas provides a culturally relevant platform for delivering health promotion to Latinas (3,4).

Aim. To assess the preliminary efficacy of Infectious Love (IL) to improve HIV prevention behaviors among Latinas.

Methods. 95 Latinas in North Carolina participated in a randomized controlled pilot study (n = 50 intervention, n = 45 control). IL consisted of four weekly episodes (~10 minutes each) available online (2). Latinas completed surveys assessing targeted HIV-related outcomes at baseline, 1-month, and 7-months post-baseline. Latinas in …

Illuminating Instances Of Punitive Approaches To Care In Perinatal Settings In Canada, Amy L. Wright, Jen Rinaldi, Idil Abdillahi, Yann Zoldan, Julia Smith, Emilie Hudon, Lauren Munro

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Carceral perinatal care is the provision of coercive or punishing care by clinicians during the perinatal period (1). Whether intentional or driven by licensure/policy demands, clinicians have been implicated in the provision of punitive care for pregnant and parenting patients (1-4).

Purpose: The Do No Harm project aims to thoroughly understand carceral instances of clinical practices across the perinatal continuum of care to develop abolitionist solutions that are equitable, person-centred, and trauma-responsive. Abolitionist solutions reimagine prevention, intervention and healing ways of accountability that do not cause further harm (5).

Methods: Informed by the Reproductive Justice Framework (6) and Abolitionist Feminism …

From Seed Funding To Global Impact: Building A Successful Nurse-Led Research Program, Nicola Cornally, Mohamad M. Saab

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Background: Large scale nurse-led research is infrequently observed when compared to other health disciplines. Advancing nurse-led research and improving uptake of evidence requires a shift in how the profession secures funding.[1] Nurse-led research faces barriers like limited opportunities, competing demands, low perceived value, and a paucity of role models/mentors. [2] With the increase in doctorly trained nurses, there is an urgent need to address such barriers.

Aim: To explore the mechanisms that build a successful nurse-led research program.

Methods: Case studies (CS) of how two nurse Chief Investigators navigated the path to leading major grants.

CS1: From a small post-doctoral …

Community Perspectives On The Health And Well-Being Of Adults With Serious Mental Illness, Joy Maddigan, Ahmad Deeb, Jill Bruneau, Chantille Isler

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Background: Worldwide, individuals with serious mental illness (SMI) face challenges in caring for their physical and mental health (Firth et al., 2019). Illness symptoms, medication effects, poverty, and lack of attention by health professionals jeopardize their wellbeing and result in the early development of long-term diseases leading to early death (Hallyburton & Alison-Jones, 2022). The situation continues to worsen in spite of decades of awareness and recognition (Chan et al., 2023).

Objectives: To explore the perspectives of members of the mental health community about the context, barriers, and best practices for engaging individuals in wellness activities and healthy behaviors.

Methods: …

Social Well-Being In Pediatric Orthopedics: Predictors From Promis Peer Scores, Sally Ann Martens, Christine Rae Platt, Shima Salahshoor

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Background: Children with orthopedic conditions often face social stigmatization, which can impair psychosocial development. Positive peer relationships are critical for emotional resilience, yet little is known about how demographic, diagnostic, and socioeconomic factors influence these relationships.

Purpose: To examine associations between peer relationship quality and age, race, gender, diagnosis, and socioeconomic status among pediatric orthopedic patients.

Methods: A cohort of 3,261 children treated at Shriners Hospital for Children Northern California completed the PROMIS Peer Relationship short form. Demographic and diagnostic data were extracted from medical records; socioeconomic status was estimated using the Area Deprivation Index (ADI). Analyses included descriptive statistics, …

Exploring The Association Between Hypertension And Sleep Disturbances Among Adults, Diana-Lyn Baptiste, Ruth-Alma Turkson-Ocran, Binu Koirala, Brenda Owusu, Oluwabunmi Ogungbe, Stephanie Meng Yuan, Sabianca Delva, Marion Botchway, Deandra Romain, Serina Gbaba, Faith Elise Metlock, Yvonne Commodore-Mensah, Cheryl Himmelfarb

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Background: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death in the United States (US), contributing to one in three deaths. It is estimated that more than 120 million Americans are living with at least one form of CVD, which include hypertension (HTN). HTN accounts for the highest prevalence, impacting over 50% of individuals aged ≥20 years old in the US. Suboptimal sleep also represents a notable CVD risk factor and has been identified as a contributor to various CVD-related issues. The inclusion of sleep health as one of the Life’s Essential 8 measures in 2022 reinforces its importance for …

Supportive Co-Teaching To Enhance Learning Outcomes In Undergraduate Nursing Education, Reathea Felder, Kimberly Castillo

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Supportive co-teaching is an instructional model in which two educators with complementary expertise collaboratively prepare and deliver course content to enhance student learning. This project examined the implementation of a supportive co-teaching approach within an undergraduate maternal-child nursing course and its impact on both learners and faculty. The purpose of this work was to evaluate how shared instructional roles influence student performance, classroom engagement, and faculty teaching experience.

Using a structured co-teaching model, two instructors partnered to design and facilitate all classroom sessions. Each instructor served as lead during content aligned with their clinical specialty obstetric or pediatric nursing while …

Nulungu Reconciliation Lecture 2026 'Ryingah Nganjal', Nulungu Research Institute

Nulungu Reconciliation Lecture

Presenters: Yatangal, Ylaliny and Nurrugul

Ryingah Nganjal is a contemporary cultural experience where ancient Karajarri song traditions meet immersive cinematic sound.

Led by Yatangal, Ylaliny and Nurrugul, the performance brings the Pintirri Songline to life through language, story and song, woven together with expansive synthesiser textures and ambient soundscapes.

Rather than recreating the past, Ryingah Nganjal presents living culture in a timeless space where ancient voices and contemporary sound exist together. The music dissolves the boundary between tradition and modernity, inviting audiences to experience culture beyond ordinary ideas of time.

Rooted in the Jila, living water places and the Pukarrikarra, …

Novel Uncrewed Aircraft Water Sampling Device, Justin Fratto, Avinash Muthu Krishnan, Kayla D. Taylor, David Zink, Marc Compere, Kevin Adkins

Discovery Day - Daytona Beach

Supported by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), this project’s objective is to create a novel simultaneous surface and discrete depth water sampler for use with an uncrewed aircraft, something which has not been done before. The device will be used to improve the spatiotemporal resolution of harmful algal bloom (HAB) monitoring on Lake Okeechobee in South Florida to provide timely and precise information on water quality and HABs. HABs are characterized by the EPA as certain species of algae that can produce harmful toxins and produce excessive blooms or growth in certain conditions. Often occurring in warmer months due to …

The Nurses’ Perceptions Of Shared Governance, Psychological Empowerment, And Turnover Intention, Emma Maniago Aquino-Maneja, Linda Searle Leach, Hong Li, Juli Mcginnis

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Background: A major challenge in healthcare is the significant shortage of experienced nurses. Although evidence shows that shared governance (SG) is a key strategy for retaining nurses, gaps remain in understanding its relationship and predictive pathways to psychological empowerment (PE) and turnover intention (TI).

Purpose: The study explored the relationships and predictive pathways among nurses' perceptions of SG, PE, and TI in acute care hospitals. It also aimed to compare how nurse leaders (NLs) and clinical nurses (CNs) perceive these factors, and to examine the influence of their socio-demographic characteristics on these perceptions.

Method: The study employed a descriptive, correlational, …

From Relicensing To Revalidation: Strengthening Nursing And Midwifery Regulation In Ghana, Bibha Simkhada, Philomina Woolley, Ransford Akrong, Padam Simkhada, Charles Adjei, Ampem Darko Oklodu-Abbey, Susan Jones, Osei Agyei Duodu, Dennis Ekow Addai, Manish Parajuli, Hari Krishna Neupane, Precious Adade Duodu

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Background: Nurses and midwives play a vital role in achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) (WHO, 2025). Strengthening regulatory systems is crucial to produce competent nurses and midwives, maintain professional and public confidence (WHO, 2021). The Nursing and Midwifery Council (N&MC) of Ghana sought to strengthen its regulatory framework by introducing revalidation and improve its Management Information System (MIS). Recognising reflective practice in nursing, the Council incorporated it into pre-registration curricula (N&MC Ghana, 2021a & N&MC Ghana 2021b). To address gaps in post-registration practice, a 12-month project was launched to strengthen licensing regulation and prepare …

Diagnostic Accuracy Of A Single-Item Happiness Index For Screening Mild Depressive Symptoms, Shun Chan, Aderonke Odetayo, Jasmine Cheung, Anson Chui Yan Tang, Lorna Kawi Ping Suen, Simon Ching Lam

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Background: Depression symptoms are a mental health problem with rising prevalence globally. To enhance the estimation of depressive symptoms in epidemiological studies, a 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) has been widely used. Some local research found that a single-item General Happiness Index (GHI) highly correlated with the scales used for screening the depressive symptoms. This study hence aimed to explore the sensitivity and specificity of GHI for screening mild or more severe depressive symptoms based on the secondary data analysis in the Chinese population.

Methods: This methodological study used the data collected in the General Happiness Survey 2024 and 2025 …

Navigating Psychosocial, Behavioural, And Spiritual Transformations During A Child’S Cancer Journey, Jen-Jiuan Liaw, Wen-Yu Hu, Hsiang-Yun Lan, Yu-Lun Tsai, Chen-Xi Lin

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Background: Parents of children with cancer are highly vulnerable, often experiencing profound psychological distress, and caregiving burden. While existing research primarily focuses on parental distress, few studies have explored how parents navigate psychosocial, behavioral, and spiritual transformations during their child’s illness.

Aims: This study explored how Taiwanese parents navigate psychosocial, behavioral, and spiritual changes while caring for children diagnosed with cancer.

Methods: A qualitative descriptive design using a phenomenological approach was employed. Seventeen parents from pediatric oncology units in three medical centers in Taipei participated in in-depth interviews by trained research nurses with experience of pediatric oncological care. Data were …

Seeing Through Students’ Eyes: Photo-Elicitation For Research And Program Evaluation In Nursing, Megan P. Williams

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Background: Photo-elicitation invites participants to capture and share photographs representing their lived experiences. It offers a meaningful way to evaluate how nursing students integrate knowledge, skills, and attitudes across cognitive, psychomotor, and affective domains of learning. Grounded in visual sociology (Harper, 2002) and expanded through nursing pedagogy (Linz, 2011; Kronk et al., 2015), this approach helps students express ideas and emotions that are difficult to articulate or assess. Prior research indicates that photo-elicitation supports empathy, critical thinking, and self-awareness through learning experiences such as aging (Chonody, 2018), community health (Cooper et al., 2017), and academic challenges (Steenfeldt et al., 2019). …

Knowledge, Burden, And Experiences Of Peg Caregivers In Türkiye: A Mixed-Methods Study, Hande Nur Arslan, Sevilay Senol Celik

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

This study examined knowledge levels, caregiving burden, and lived experiences of family caregivers providing percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) care in Türkiye using a convergent parallel mixed-methods design. Family caregivers play a critical role in PEG management; however, limited formal home-care infrastructure and strong familial norms intensify their responsibilities and increasing burden. Twenty-eight caregivers from a university hospital (March–June 2025) completed the PEG Care Knowledge Assessment and semi-structured interviews. Quantitative results showed a mean knowledge score of 15.50±5.64 (55.3% accuracy), with 46.4% demonstrating low knowledge. The average burden was 49.18±15.43, which means it was moderate to severe. Stepwise regression (p< 0.001) identified PEG knowledge, caregiver age, weekly care hours, relationship closeness, household size, patient age, and comorbidities as significant predictors.

Qualitative …

The Lived Work Experiences Of Doctorally Prepared Nurse Educators, Misty Dawn Smith

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

The nursing profession faces a complex workforce crisis marked by a persistent nursing shortage, early career attrition, and a growing number of nurses nearing retirement (Auerbach et al., 2022). This is compounded by a shortage of nurse educators, which limits the ability to train future nurses (Fang et al., 2020). With fewer nurse educators available, replenishing the nursing workforce becomes increasingly difficult.

From 2020-2024, the top issues affecting academic nurse educator vacancies included noncompetitive salaries, difficulty finding educators with the right specialty mix, and a limited pool of doctorally prepared nurse educators (Harvey et al., 2025). Doctoral degrees are highly …