Digital Commons Network^™

Experimental Validation Of Omnidirectional Interferometry For Space-Based Radio Source Localization, Hisatoshi Kimura, Yosuke Tanabe, Tsukasa Funane, Makoto Ito, Yasuyuki Miyazaki, Satoshi Ikari, Shinichi Nakasuka, Koichi Watanabe

Small Satellite Conference

Poster presented during the 2025 SmallSat Conference.

Modular Payload Connectivity For Rapid Integration And Testing, Sam Feldman, Noah Gladden, Rahul Rughani, Dave Barnhart

Small Satellite Conference

Poster presented during the 2025 SmallSat Conference.

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 …

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 …

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.

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 …

The Move Towards A Modular Spacecraft: Design And Manufacture Of Rf Components Using Additive Manufacturing, Rupesh Chudasama, Benjamin Falkner, Evangelos Mellios, Hossein Eskandari

Small Satellite Conference

Waveguides are critical components for communicating with satellites. Traditional waveguides consist of two parts and are relatively simple in geometry and require multiple steps and fasteners for assembly which add additional weight and the extended delivery times. Our approach is to use Additive Manufacturing (AM) and its design freedoms to produce a lighter, more compact, and printable version of a waveguide. The waveguide will undergo electrical testing to understand the performance of the 3D printed waveguide against the simulation.

Ronald E. Mcnair Scholars Program Profiles And Abstracts 2025, Mcnair Scholars Program

McNair Symposium

This publication provides research abstracts and biographies of 2025 McNair scholars and their mentors.

Building Europe’S First Isam Facility – From Concept To Delivery In 12 Months, Mark Heelis, Dimitris Xydas, Alex Goodhand, Jeremy Hadall, Elanor Barber, Rupesh Chudasama, Olivia Markham, Michael Curtis-Rouse

Small Satellite Conference

Poster presented during the 2025 SmallSat Conference.

Ai-Driven Mission-Critical Software Optimization For Small Satellites: Integrating An Automated Testing Framework, Vishnupriya S. Devarajulu

Small Satellite Conference

Small satellites (SmallSats) have revolutionized our modern digital infrastructure, such as Earth observation, navigation, real-time communications, and deep space exploration, due to their composable design, effectively reduced cost, and accelerated development cycles. However, SmallSat software must function autonomously, often under limited bandwidth, processing power, and computing resources. Pre-launch techniques such as Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL), Software-in-the-Loop (SIL) and Unit testing are generally used, but often insufficient to detect errors, timing anomalies, fault propagation, or further telemetry-based degradations. This paper presents a Python-based validation framework influenced by recent testbeds like EIRSAT-1, ITASAT-2, and NOS3, integrating telemetry simulation, synthetic fault injection, resource logging, anomaly …

Autonomous Dual Interchangeable Robotic Arms For In-Space Servicing, Assembly, And Manufacturing, Jonathan Tindall, Michael Daher, Arin Churi, Jake Piccirillo, Anais Mera-Sarnelli, George Serra, Zach Merly, Andrew Dishchuk, Michael Madden, Christian Szczezniak

Small Satellite Conference

The expansion of Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite constellations highlights the critical need for In-Space Servicing, Assembly, and Manufacturing (ISAM) to perform novel orbital missions that reduces launch and operating costs and extends mission lifespans. Existing space robotic systems are too expensive, large, and specialized for many ISAM applications in LEO. A small-scale twin robotic arm system that features interchangeable end effectors enhances future ISAM mission capabilities. This robotic arm system leverages smaller, low-cost, arms to perform precise autonomous operations, including satellite repair, repositioning, and recovery. Initial designs and analysis show the arms to be 62% smaller in length and …

Chantsat-1 Ground Station Planning, Design And Installation - Experiences Gained, Ian Hewitt, Jean French, George Hitt

Small Satellite Conference

Planning, designing, and implementing the ground station for ChantSat-1, Coastal Carolina University’s first small sat mission program, was the first major milestone of the University’s space program. CCU’s ChantSat-1 ground station team presents the experiences gained during the process from inception to completion of the ground station at a liberal arts public University in the southeastern United States with approximately 11,000 students. By sharing both our challenges and successes, our goal is to support others by providing experiences gained in the process.

Chantsat-1: A First-Time University's Experience In Small Satellite Development, George Hitt, Jean French, Juliana Harding, Ian Hewitt, Louis Keiner, Michael Woodle

Small Satellite Conference

ChantSat-1, Coastal Carolina University (CCU) High Altitude Nadir-pointing Satellite-1, is the first smallsat mission envisioned by our primarily undergraduate university. Capacity development to support mission planning over 18 months has integrated a range of interdisciplinary stakeholders while capturing the attention and imagination of students. The mission’s primary payload will be a multispectral camera for remote sensing of South Carolina’s coastal blackwater rivers, estuaries, and adjacent ocean shelf waters. The resulting coastal habitat mosaic supports ecologically important food webs and related economic and cultural engines of regional growth, while being uniquely vulnerable to the combination of natural episodic climate-related events combined …

Efficiency Starts With Lifecycle Planning, Management, And Right-Sizing Process, Brian Simms

Small Satellite Conference

When a program starts, there's a tendency for management or leadership to want to get things moving, to get going, to start doing things. It makes a lot of sense to push forward, but only if everybody understands what "doing things" means. A lot of the time, there's a lack of initial process or clarity about where in a specific process we're starting. Sometimes goals, expectations, and processes don’t reach every member of the team.

In a time when efficiency is being leveraged as a weapon to defund existing efforts, all programs are immediately operating at risk. Programs desperately require …

Foresail-1 Prime 3u Science Cubesat, Jaan Praks, Petri Niemelä, Marius Anger, Kiril Cheremetiev, Topi Räty, Minna Palmroth, Emilia Kilpua, Pekka Janhunen, Rami Vainio

Small Satellite Conference

The Foresail-1 Prime is a satellite mission developed by Aalto University in association with the Finnish Centre of Excellence in Research of Sustainable Space (FORESAIL). The mission carries scientific payloads such as the Particle Telescope (PATE), Plasma Brake Experiment (PB), magnetometer MATTI and features fully in-house developed subsystems. This is the fourth satellite, developed by Aalto University, building on heritage of Aalto-1, Aalto-2 and Foresail-1 satellites.

Next-Generation Earth Observation: Agile Satellites With Cmg Cluster For Enhanced Coverage, Andrea Coco, Simon Debois

Small Satellite Conference

The rapid growth of Earth observation demands cost-effective strategies, such as integrating COTS components and accelerating deployment. A key factor in mission efficiency is spacecraft agility, which enables faster reorientation, improved target tracking, and optimized data collection. A game-changing advancement is the revival of Control Moment Gyroscopes (CMGs) as cost-effective, high-performance actuators. Once constrained by high costs, recent manufacturing innovations and new providers have made CMGs more accessible. With superior torque efficiency and capability, CMGs greatly enhance agility, enabling faster reorientation and improved data collection compared to conventional reaction wheels. This paper presents a comparative case study demonstrating the advantages …

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, …

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 …

Apophis Cratering Experiment Mission Concept, Ethan Kayser, Tyler Presser, Cristyn Merry, Matthew Givens, Kevin Walsh, Viliam Klein

Small Satellite Conference

Apophis is set to become one of the most extensively studied asteroids in history thanks to the detailed observation campaign of OSIRIS-APEX during its 2029 and 2030 extended mission to the near-Earth object, alongside Ramses which is expected to launch in 2028. To supplement those missions, we propose the Apophis Cratering Experiment (ACE), an impactor mission that leverages OSIRIS-APEX or Ramses as a dedicated observer, during and after the collision, to maximize scientific return at a low cost. In addition to providing significant science return, the mission offers a low-cost opportunity to demonstrate novel SmallSat technologies in deep …

Optimizing Ground Station Communications Using Multiple Spacecraft Per Aperture In A Ground Segment As A Service Framework, Stefan Vlad Tudor, Giovanni Zanotti

Small Satellite Conference

The increasing deployment of satellite clusters in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) presents new challenges and opportunities for satellite communications, particularly from a Ground Segment perspective. This paper investigates efficient management of multiple ground contacts, in the Ground Segment as a Service context, by leveraging on Multiple Spacecraft Per Aperture (MSPA) technique to maximize connectivity by sharing ground resources to multiple satellites simultaneously.

MSPA is particularly valuable for handling multiple spacecraft in close proximity, such as during the Launch and Early Orbit Phase (LEOP) of rideshare missions, all being supported by same ground segment infrastructure. By enabling simultaneous downlinks through a …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

Csa-Xai: Channel–Spatial Attention And Explainable Ai In A Modular Multi-Backbone Framework For Lung Cancer Classification, Omar Ibrahim Obaid, Abdulbasit Alazzawi

Iraqi Journal for Computer Science and Mathematics

Computed tomography (CT) scans require precise and early lung cancer detection to produce better clinical results. High accuracy in deep learning approaches (DL) poses an existing challenge to interpret their functionality effectively. This research presents an innovative modular multi-backbone structure that combines channel-spatial attention together with explainable AI (XAI) methods for three-class lung cancer diagnosis (Normal, Benign, and Malignant). Research was carried out to evaluate six pre-trained CNN backbones (ResNet-50, VGG19, Inception-V3, EfficientNet-B0, MobileNet-V2, DenseNet-121) which received hybrid attention enhancement on the IQ-OTH/NCCD dataset. The experimental data showed four pre-trained models reaching perfect accuracy at 100 percent whereas the others …

Framework For Governed Orchestration And Adaptive Lifecycle Management Of Hierarchical Artificial Intelligence Agents, Mithun Kumar S R

Defensive Publications Series

This document describes a framework for governing and managing hierarchical artificial intelligence (AI) agent systems. The framework addresses various limitations of current approaches, such as static architectures, naive delegation, high operational costs, lack of auditability, security vulnerabilities, and poor conflict handling. The framework includes a primary orchestrator node (PON) for task decomposition, a delegation and provisioning engine (DAPE) for agent selection and provisioning, specialized execution agents (SEAs) for task execution in secure sandboxes, a shared context manifold (SCM) for collaboration, a synthesis and reconciliation module (SRM) for output assembly, a causal traceability ledger for auditability, and a performance-driven optimization loop …