Digital Commons Network^™

4dof Steam Propulsion System For 1u Cubesats And Larger, David Hinkley, Jonathan Cheng, Susan Ossareh, Jeff Asher, Logan Fernandez, Brenda Valdez, Bhargav Nagarajan, Aryan Jafari, Stephen Samples

Small Satellite Conference

Aerospace developed a warm gas water vapor propulsion system for the OCSD-A mission in 2015 and redesigned it for the AeroCube-10 mission in 2019. Those were single nozzle systems. The 2019 mission performed reliably so this design is an evolution to 5 thrusters. Also new is that the main tank is additively manufactured aluminum so that tubing can be embedded and thermal management is easier.

Advanced Avionics: Low Swap Hpsc Box For Space Autonomy, Behnam Azimi, Sun Hur-Diaz, Hossein Mohammadkhan, Michael Romeo, Sean Semper, Alan Cudmore

Small Satellite Conference

Objective: To provide a next-generation avionics system built on NASA's High Performance Spaceflight Computing (HPSC) processor technology.

An Operator-In-The-Loop Smallsat Operations Simulation For Classroom Training, Samuil Nikolov, Kaelyn Tindall, Lana Laskey

Small Satellite Conference

Training spacecraft operators through a hybrid environment combining live telemetry, game-engine visualization, subsystem consoles, and real-time anomaly response.

An End-To-End Optical And Ethernet Networking Architecture For Next-Generation Satellite Constellations, Gianluca Giuffrida, Francesco Falaschi

Small Satellite Conference

• Modern satellites generate ever-increasing data volumes, increasingly challenging traditional RF links. IngeniArs combines very high speed optical links, up to 10 Gbps, with an onboard Ethernet routing fabric
• Optical data is packetized and dynamically routed for onboard storage or processing, or relayed across the constellation from satellite to satellite until it reaches an available ground station
• The result is reduced time-to-ground, increased contact opportunities, and more resilient end-to-end data delivery across the space and ground segments, despite intermittent link availability

Autonomous Onboard Navigation And Mission Planning In A Lunar Near-Rectilinear Halo Orbit, Carl De Vries, Robert Pritchett, Sun Hur-Diaz, Nathan Esantsi, Liam Greenlee, Ben Leser, Mike Romeo

Small Satellite Conference

autoNGC is a core Flight System (CFS) application suite that performs real-time, onboard autonomous navigation, guidance and control (autoNGC)

Development Of The Korea's First Hyperspectral Microsatellite Constellation For Local-Scale Methane Monitoring: Narsha, Geuk-Nam Kim, Jinyoung Shin, Museong Park, Sang Hun Lee, Heewon Park, Taemin Kim, Jooin Lee, Dohyun Kim, Insun Jung, Marcin Badowski, Kiyun Park, Jae-Pil Park, Jaemin Hong, Yu-Ri Lee, Sujong Jeong, Alexandra Jercaianu, Pawel Snopek

Small Satellite Conference

Poster presented at the 2026 Small Satellite Conference

Experimental Investigation Of "Structured Radio Wave" Propagation Using A Deployable Parabolic Reflector With A Uniform Circular Array, Makoto Ito, Tsukasa Funane, Yosuke Tanabe, Miki Yonehara, Hisatoshi Kimura, Keigo Nakamura, Yasuyuki Miyazaki, Satoshi Ikari, Shinichi Nakasuka, Ayako Torisaka, Koichi Watanabe

Small Satellite Conference

Poster presented at the 2026 Small Satellite Conference

Feasibility Of Failure-Resilient Swarm Formation Flying And Multi-Beam Coherent Apertures In 10000+ High-Density Satellite Swarms, Sumio Morioka

Small Satellite Conference

Direct-to-Device (D2D) communication links satellites directly to ground terminals without large antennas, supporting future Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS) and IoT. Our earlier work [1] showed that a formation of 10,000+ ultra-small satellites, as a coherent phased-array aperture, closes the D2D link budget. This study asks whether the formation can be operated within each satellite’s available power.

Lego®-Based Cubesats For Space Outreach, Stefan Brandle, Joshua Brown, Evan Smith, Drew Nye, Sydney Reddy, Twidy Kwae, Kaiya Grzesiak, Matthew Roderer, John Hetz

Small Satellite Conference

Taylor University Computer Science and Engineering is building a satellite having a LEGO®-robotics-based payload.

Mission Goals

• Have university students build a novel ELEO satellite
• Demonstrate viability of LEGO robotics electronics in space for short-term low-altitude missions
• Enhance space awareness by capturing the public's imagination through integral use of LEGO in an actual satellite
• Identify partners willing to provide advice and promote this project
• Create additional pathways for K-12 and university student participation in building satellites and satellite-related projects
• Support other space-education organizations through a high-visibility satellite project
• Continue space outreach efforts in the spirit of the ThinSat project
• ThinSat was …

Magnetic Balancing For Microvibration Reduction In Passive Magnetic Bearings For Smallsat Reaction Wheels, Deckers Niel, Baekeland Mante, Cuypers Cedric, Seiler Rene, Vandepitte Dirk, Delabie Tjorven

Small Satellite Conference

Reduction and mitigation of microvibrations constitutes a crucial field of interest in the research of spacecraft reaction wheels. This applies all the more so in small satellites, where even minimal sources of vibrations lead to imprecision of onboard instruments. To address this, magnetic bearings offer contactless support, and thus prevent several sources of microvibrations that exist in classical ball bearings, for instance the mechanical imperfections in rolling elements. The inherently low stiffness of magnetic bearings also significantly reduces the transmitted forces in reaction wheels. Another advantage of contactless support is its potential longer lifetime because of the absence …

Manufacturing Advances For Cost Effective, Large Aperture Monolithic Telescopes, T. Suratwala, R. Steele, G. Tham, J. Ross, J. Johnson, O. Herrera, M. Cahill, D. Bechtold, R. Bechtold, F. Ravizza, J. Cortes

Small Satellite Conference

Space has become increasingly more contested over the last decade, with the proliferation of satellites and space assets that require new levels of Space Domain Awareness (SDA). Space is often described by the US Government as the next warfighting domain. Control, understanding and dominance over this vast domain requires exquisite and complex optomechanical systems.

Lawrence Livermore National Lab’s Space Science and Security Program (SSSP) has developed unique monolithic optics, which are ground-aligned during manufacturing and are nearly athermal. These qualities greatly reduce the complexity of the optical payload when compared to legacy telescope designs. Monolithic optics deliver excellent imaging capabilities, …

Reacquiring Satellites After Unknown Maneuvers In Sensor Blind Spots: A Physics-Informed Behavioral Framework For Closed-Loop Custody Recovery, Naushad Rahman, Niha Agarwalla, Hardik Patel

Small Satellite Conference

Operational problem

After a maneuver during a sensor blind spot, a pre­-gap catalog state may no longer be operationally sufficient. A null look at GS2 must become evidence for where the object could be­ – and where to task next – before access expires.

Recap: A Study Of Downlink Optimization Methods Using Mms As A Template, Connor Firth, Conrad Schiff, Stephen Kreisler, Alexander Barrie

Small Satellite Conference

Motivations: MMS as a paradigm for downlink optimization

• MMS is a multi-agent mission requiring downlink optimization. ReCAP (Remote Coordination, Actuation, and Planning) assigns ground contacts using auctions.
• Five realistic downlink optimization cases are studied, and the amount of data downlinked is tracked to illustrate ReCAP’s ability to optimize for different criteria.
• ReCAP demonstrates value as a real-time, onboard downlink optimization tool.

Swap Optimized, Optical Communications Terminal Concepts For Lunar, Mars, Jupiter And Neptune Solar System Missions, Keith G. Petrillo, Mark Storm

Small Satellite Conference

Trinity: Fibertek's Lunar terminal

• Trinity provides a good basis for providing a low SWaP terminal for deep space communications
• Leveraging Trinity and high-power LiDAR lasers enables communications to 32AU
• Appropriate for deep space small satellites

University Ground-Station-As-A-Service: Promoting Space It Education And University Collaboration, Daniel Freburg, Will Lewis, Charles Edamala, Phoenix Alpine

Small Satellite Conference

Poster presented at the 2026 Small Satellite Conference

Validation Of Steering Law For A 4-Variable-Speed Single-Gimbal Control Moment Gyroscope Pyramid Cluster Via Spherical Air-Bearing Testbed, Kai Kuo Liao, Chih Ta Wu, Jen Hao Cheng, Po Hsun Yen, Shang Jung Lee

Small Satellite Conference

• VSCMG: wheel speed is commanded with gimbal rate — the extra DOF lets the cluster slide past singularities.
• HIL: a Helmholtz cage replays the on-orbit field and a solar simulator sets the Sun line.
• This work: HIL validation of a weighted-pseudoinverse steering law, 4-unit pyramid.

Reinventing The Reaction Wheel, I. Penchev, N. Andrada

Small Satellite Conference

Rapid growth of microsatellite missions and constellations in the 10–600 kg class is increasing the demand for scalable, high-performance attitude control solutions. Advanced payloads for Earth Observation, Synthetic Aperture Radar, complex science missions, and geolocation systems require:

• Low microvibration performance
• Precise pointing stability
• High angular momentum capacity
• Reliable across mission lifetimes

Space Inventor is qualifying a new generation of 1 Nms-class reaction wheels optimized for microsatellite platforms. The innovative mechanical design, combined with manufacturing-aware system design, unlocks expanded performance and mission opportunities for microsatellites and constellations.

Zerodur®: Tailoring Opportunities For Your Thermal Environment And Second-Order Optimum Factors, Jesse Bonfeld, Dustin Ruth, Florian Gollier, Janina Krieg, Thomas Westerhoff, Tony Hull, Jacqueline Caraballo

Small Satellite Conference

Poster Presented at the 2026 Small Satellite Conference

A Comprehensive Review Of Perovskite Materials For Electronic Device Applications, Md Abdul Kuddus Sheikh, Md Shazarul Islam, Daniel Drane, Hasina Huq

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

Perovskite materials have gained remarkable attention as promising candidates for next-generation electronic and optoelectronic devices owing to their outstanding optical absorption, high carrier mobility, tunable bandgap, and cost-effective fabrication. This review explores the recent progress and future potential of perovskite materials across different categories, including organic-inorganic hybrid perovskites, oxide perovskites, and all-inorganic perovskites, emphasizing their structural diversity and electronic tunability. Special consideration is given to various dimensional perovskites (3D, 2D, 1D, and 0D), where reduced dimensionality provides enhanced stability and unique quantum confinement effects advantageous for device performance. The rapid development of lead-free perovskites is also discussed as an environmentally …

Evaluating Performance Of Hardware-Accelerated Vessel Detection Algorithms, Michael Tietz, John Warner, Quinton Davidson, Douglas Carssow

Small Satellite Conference

Earth observing satellites contribute to the monitoring of maritime activity by enabling large-scale coverage of open water. For example, spacecraft data can be used to monitor and combat Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated (IUU) fishing that occurs in coastal and international waters across the globe. However, information latencies limit the utility of space-based sensors for operational users who need real-time situational awareness. These limitations are especially pronounced for small spacecraft with limited power generation and downlink capabilities. In recent years, the devices and tools that enable edge computing and near real-time downlink from small spacecraft have improved substantially. Equipped with these …

Design And Performance Of The Active Thermal Architecture Technology For The Upcoming Acmes Mission, Lucas Anderson, Charles Swenson, Miguel Nunes, Robert Wright

Small Satellite Conference

This paper will discuss the basic design, fabrication, and experimental validation plan of the Active Thermal Architecture (ATA), a novel Active Thermal Control (ATC) technology that will be demonstrated on the upcoming Active Cooling for Multispectral Earth Sensors (ACMES) mission. The ATA is an integrated single-phase mechanically pumped fluid-loop (MPFL) thermal control system developed for high-power small-satellite applications. The ATA is constructed using 3D Ultrasonic Additive Manufacturing to co-fabricate the internal thermal transport channels and structural members, enabling direct integration of heat exchangers and fluid pathways within primary spacecraft components. The resulting architecture reduces mechanical interfaces, improves thermal transfer, and …

Development Of Wavelength-Division-Multiplexed All-Optical Relays For Low-Earth Orbit Free-Space Optical Communication Networks, Travis Jones, Justin Cook, Chris Krush, Doruk Engin, Keith G. Petrillo

Small Satellite Conference

In this work, we designed, built, and tested an all-optical relay amplifier to enable a space-based all-optical backbone for laser communications networks. The design sought to optimize links for LEO-based networks incorporating appropriate span lengths and optical terminal specifications. We incorporate an add-drop multiplexer for rerouting signals and designed the system to be flexible over span lengths with a nominal range of 1,800 km. We performed several tests of the nominally 60 dB gain amplifier to assess link dynamics unique to free space optical communications (FSOC) including the impact of pointing jitter, nonlinearities, gain flattening, and wide-band filters on an …

Delay/ Disruption Tolerant Networking In Cislunar Space, Sara Garcia-Beech, Rebecca Besser, Elizabeth Geist, Theresa Beech, Mike Palsson, Krishnan Narayanan, Ben Anderson

Small Satellite Conference

DTN (Delay/Disruption Tolerant Networking) is at foundation of NASA's LunaNet architecture, which will enable the robust communications, navigation, and networking capabilities needed to establish a long-term presence on the Moon. DTN is a network architecture composed of several different protocols that are designed to provide internetworking functionality and standardized multi-hop, end-to-end data delivery in highly stressed environments that are not optimal for traditional Internet Protocols. Bundle Protocol (BP) version 7, a store-and-forward protocol intended to run at the application layer on top of convergence layer protocols, provides the key delay tolerance functionality of DTN and is designed to handle intermittent …

Event-Driven Spacecraft Operations Demonstrated On Mms, Miles Bengtson, Alexander Barrie, Joseph Patton, Liam Greenlee, Paul Wood, Marcus Piquette, Russell Bjella, Matthew Chang, Joshua Paul

Small Satellite Conference

Operations engineers face the challenging task of capturing high-value science data while maintaining spacecraft health and functionality and responding to a dynamic space environment using limited information. This task is becoming increasingly complex as missions involve increasingly large numbers of spacecraft, target more elusive science signatures, and operate under growing budget and staffing constraints. Conventional pre-programmed time-sequence commands become increasingly burdensome for multi-spacecraft missions and are fundamentally incapable of reacting to rare, transient science events in real time.

To address this challenge, we have developed MEDOS: the Module for Event-Driven Operations of Spacecraft. Unlike machine learning and neural-network approaches, MEDOS …

Let’S Give The Fsck Up On Secded, Heather M. Quinn, Andrew Pineda, Gary Swift

Small Satellite Conference

Many space systems use error correcting codes (ECC) for handling radiation-induced upsets in memories. The most used ECCs are Hamming and Hsaio, which are single-error correction/double-error detection (SECDED) codes. The widespread use of these codes can lead to a dangerous overestimation of system reliability. Instead these codes are one of the best documented methods for microprocessor-based system crashes, due to uncorrectable faults. Less well documented is how these codes can lead to silent data corruption caused by miscorrections, where multiple errors are detected as a single error and corrected erroneously.

ECCs have always been sensitive to time-dependent errors, where SEUs …

Demonstration Of Bidirectional Tracking And Data Transfer With The Cubeisl Optical Communication Terminal, Jan Hildebrand, Hannes Zeihsel, René Rüddenklau, Jorge Rosano Nonay, Lukas Rodeck, Olman Quiros Jimenez

Small Satellite Conference

This paper presents the experimental results of a free-space optical link validating the capabilities of two integrated CubeISL terminals. The campaign serves as a verification of the tracking, pointing and acquisition of the terminals before launch of the CubeISL mission. The link was conducted over a distance of 6600 m between the rooftop of the DLR Institute of Communication and Navigation in Oberpfaffenhofen and a 80 m high radio tower in Schöngeising. To ensure robust link establishment, the system employed a Pointing, Acquisition, and Tracking scheme utilizing both a 10 kHz modulated beacon for initial acquisition and a Continuous Wave …

Design And Qualification Of A Compact, Deployable Dual-Monopole Antenna System For Remote Sensing Microsatellites, Alexander J. Murphy, Bryan Johnston-Lemke, Robert E. Zee

Small Satellite Conference

Spacecraft conducting signals intelligence (SIGINT) missions require highly capable radio-frequency (RF) payloads. While the larger 80 kg-class platforms offer increased payload capacities, strict internal volume limitations persist. These constraints sometimes require stowing instruments, such as the dual-monopole Very High Frequency (VHF) antenna presented in this work, directly beneath the solar wings. This requirement has imposed a strict height constraint on the VHF antenna, mandating a highly compact and reliable deployment mechanism that avoids snagging or jamming during deployment. 

This paper presents the mechanism design and qualification test plan of a novel, deployable dual-monopole VHF antenna system designed to increase satellite …

Intel® Government Technologies Space Products: Leading Edge Compute For Space, Robert Ciccariello, Ricardo Ascazubi, Kyle Dobkins, Nitesh Melwani, Ed Mily, Mike Nassan, Sean O’Neill, Ruchika Singh, Dan Weinstein

Small Satellite Conference

Commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) components are unlikely to meet the environmental survivability and assurance requirements to accomplish mission objectives in the harsh space environment. On the opposite end of the spectrum, developing custom space components on leading-edge technologies will often require multiple contractors and lengthy R&D efforts that significantly increase development costs and timelines. Intel Government Technologies (IGT) is introducing a space product roadmap, focused on space grade systems-in-package (SiPs) designed to address the transition from bespoke legacy architectures to low-SWaP, high-performance processing platforms for on-orbit systems. IGT Space Products are derived from Intel’s latest commercial technology and are uniquely configured, …

Recovery Of Grus-1e From Magnetic Torquer Loss Using Data-Driven Open-Loop Attitude Steering, Nader Ganaba, Takanori Iwata, Minoru Kurata

Small Satellite Conference

In typical low Earth orbit (LEO) operations, the inability to remove excess angular momentum often leads to the decommissioning of a satellite. This paper presents the on-orbit recovery of GRUS-1E, a hundred kg class Earth observation satellite in Axelspace Corporation’s GRUS-1 constellation. The recovery followed the permanent loss of magnetic torquer commanding capability, which in turn disabled the satellite’s nominal reaction wheel momentum unloading. In addition, the satellite experienced persistent disturbance torques that significantly exceeded the combined contributions predicted by standard models, including gravity gradient, solar radiation pressure, aerodynamic drag, and the estimated residual magnetic dipole moment. The magnitude of …

The Genesis Of The Annual Usu Conference On Small Satellites, Rex Ridenoure, Alex Da Silva Curiel, Martin Sweeting

Small Satellite Conference

On this milestone of marking the 40^th SmallSat conference, this paper provides a capsule summary of how it all started in 1987, and why. 

By January 1986, Utah State University was actively involved with NASA’s Space Shuttle program, which from April 1981 through mid-January 1986 had notched 24 successful missions in a row, including nine in 1985. Missions were starting to appear routine, and the manifest was full for many dozens of future missions. 

The Shuttle’s Get Away Special (GAS) secondary payload program had become quite popular within academic, government and commercial sectors, and through 1985 six dozen separate …