Moral And Ethical Nature In Confucian Liang-Zhi And Islamic Fitra: Comparative Perspectives On Innate Morality, Yanrong Shi

Comparative Philosophy

This article offers a comparative philosophical analysis of Confucian liang-zhi (innate moral knowledge) and Islamic fitra(primordial nature), focusing on their accounts of innate morality and moral epistemology. Drawing on classical Confucian sources—especially the praxis-oriented interpretation of Wang Yangming—and foundational Islamic texts and commentary, the study demonstrates that both traditions posit an inborn moral faculty grounding ethical universality and responsibility. Wang Yangming’s liang-zhi is conceived as an innate moral principle that, under the imperative of zhi (to actualize or extend), is continually activated through moral practice. In parallel, fitra is understood as a God-given orientation to truth, cultivated and safeguarded through …

How Theravāda Buddhism Enriches The Language Of Thought Hypothesis: Beyond Syntax, Juanjuan Cheng, Sumanasara Sandamadulle

Comparative Philosophy

The Language of Thought Hypothesis (LOTH) posits that mental states operate through a language-like representational system physically implemented in the brain. However, this purely symbolic approach faces a significant limitation: certain mental phenomena—such as intuitions, emotions, and intentions—lack the syntactically compositional structure required by LOTH and therefore cannot be adequately explained within its symbolic framework. To address this theoretical challenge, we turn to Theravāda Buddhism (TB), an early Buddhist tradition that integrates rigorous philosophical inquiry with meditative practice. Remarkably, TB began to prefigure a solution to LOTH’s limitations over 2,300 years ago. Although LOTH and TB differ …

High-Performance Green Hydrazine-Based Propellant For Small Spacecraft, Robert K. Masse, Andrew R. Haviland, Benjamin A. Glassy, Ronald A. Spores, Joshua L. Rovey

Small Satellite Conference

Whereas the last decade has seen a notable expansion in the number of small spacecraft on orbit, a lack of high-total-impulse chemical propulsion options continues to hamper their complete proliferation into mission arenas requiring dynamic maneuvering. This has been particularly true at the NanoSat/CubeSat scale, where volume limitations are most constraining. Because SmallSats are generally launched as secondary payloads, green ionic liquid propellants such as ASCENT and LMP-103S have been recognized as particularly advantageous in that they introduce minimal logistical impacts to primary payload integration workflow. However, despite the substantial packaging advantages conferred by their high impulse density, these propellants …

In 8 Years From Design To Launch: Objectives, Challenges And Risk Mitigation Of The Educational Student Cubesat Project Source, Philipp Hoffmann, Kaja Gebhard, Mario Spahr, Klemens Boltenhagen, Michael O'Donohue, Daniel Galla, Robin Schweigert, Natascha Bonidis, Sabine Klinkner

Small Satellite Conference

The Stuttgart Operated University Research CubeSat for Evaluation and Education (SOURCE) project is a 3U+ CubeSat developed in collaboration between the Small Satellite Student Society at the University of Stuttgart (KSat e.V.) and the University of Stuttgart’s Institute of Space Systems. This educational satellite mission is designed to provide students with hands-on experience in all phases of satellite development, from the initial concept to the final mission operations. SOURCE’s development began in 2018 and has been supported by ESA’s Fly Your Satellite! program since 2020. Over the past seven years, more than 500 students have had the opportunity to work …

Game-Changing Technologies For Green Propulsion Operating With 98% Hydrogen Peroxide, Pawel Surmacz, Adrian Parzybut, Michal Ranachowski, Zbigniew Gut, Michal Alaszkiewicz

Small Satellite Conference

The propellant grade hydrogen peroxide is coming back to space industry. While launcher applications would accept lower grades of High Test Peroxide (HTP) for cost reduction, the highest possible concentration matters much more for in-space propulsion. Every 1% in peroxide concentration translates to the propulsive performance (specific impulse) roughly in 1% for monopropellant and 0.5% for bipropellant.

The highest HTP grade provides certain advantages. While being more reactive, it requires less catalyst for its full decomposition, resulting in hardware mass and cost reduction. When used with any kind of bipropellant (either catalyst-augmented or hypergolic, and including hybrid), the highest grade …

Target Selection For The Pandora Smallsat: A Nasa Mission To Disentangle Stellar And Exoplanet Atmosphere Signals, Knicole Colón, Elisa Quintana, Thomas Barclay, Benjamin Hord, Jessie Dotson, Daniel Apai, Benjamin Rackham, Jason Rowe

Small Satellite Conference

The Pandora SmallSat mission was selected for implementation in 2021 as part of NASA’s Astrophysics Pioneers Program. Pandora is designed to monitor stellar variability while studying the atmospheres of transiting exoplanets via transmission spectroscopy. The transmission spectroscopy technique is one of the best methods to identify the makeup of exoplanetary atmospheres now and in the coming decade. However, stellar variations that occur from the presence of, for example, cool star spots, have been shown to contaminate the exoplanet atmosphere spectra obtained with high-precision transmission spectroscopy measurements. This stellar contamination leads to ambiguous interpretations when attempting to distinguish features like potential …

Performance Evaluation Of 1 U+ Module Of Water Ion Thruster With 7000 Ns Of Total Impulse, Yuichi Nakagawa, Hiroto Saito, Jun Asakawa

Small Satellite Conference

Water has emerged as a promising propellant for small satellite propulsion systems due to its inherent advantages in safety, affordability, and ease of handling. Traditional chemical propellants such as hydrazine pose significant safety risks due to their toxicity and explosiveness, while electric propulsion systems often rely on high-pressure gases like xenon and krypton, which present logistical and supply chain challenges. Although water exhibits lower propulsive performance, particularly in terms of specific impulse, its practical benefits have gained attention with the rise of CubeSats and nanosatellites, where mission requirements prioritize simplicity and safety over maximum efficiency. Various water-based propulsion technologies have …

Rhok-Sat: Investigating Perovskite Solar Cell Performance And Degradation In Low Earth Orbit Through A 1u Cubesat, José R. Pastrana, Anas Matar, Kerry Tang, Damian Nguyen, Marouf M. Paul, Mallory Miller, Phuc H. Nguyen, Jasper Scherz, Zheng Yu Wong, Jess G. Hamer, Olivia A. Kaufmann, Benjamin T. Wilson, B. Burnham

Small Satellite Conference

RHOK-SAT is a 1U CubeSat scheduled to launch in September 2025 aboard a resupply mission to the International Space Station (ISS) through NASA’s CubeSat Launch Initiative (CSLI) program. Its mission is to characterize the performance and degradation of six experimental perovskite solar cells in low Earth orbit for 12 months. Characterization consists of current-voltage measurement taken by one dedicated microcontroller per solar cell. Measurements are performed when the cells are in direct sunlight, determined via a quadrant photodiode. A silver-alloyed copper indium gallium selenide (ACIGS) solar cell serves as a reference for comparative analysis due to its well-characterized behavior. Each …

Extended Testing Of A Steam-Powered Propulsion System For Rapid-Orbit Corrections: A Viable Alternative To Chemical Propulsion, Marco Pavan, Ivan Timofeev, Vladimir Fedorov, Jinyoung Shin

Small Satellite Conference

The Steam Thruster One is an electro-thermal propulsion system capable of delivering a thrust level up to 20 mN, using 20 W of power and reaching a total impulse of about 1200 Ns in its 2U configuration. The system operates solely on low-pressure water, ensuring complete safety for integration and operations both on the ground and in space. The propulsion cycle involves converting liquid water into superheated steam, which is then expanded through a nozzle to generate thrust.

The propulsion system was tested in space in Q3 2023 and Q2 2024, where it successfully demonstrated short propulsion manoeuvres. However, for …

Stp-H12-Vantage: Combining Visual And Event-Based Sensing For Earth Observation, Diego Wildenstein, Michael J. Cannizzaro, Ian Peitzsch, Linus Silbernagel, Joshua Poravanthattil, Peter Drum, Mark Hofmeister, Cole Bowman, Natan Herzog, Evan W. Gretok, Alan D. George

Small Satellite Conference

Conducting Earth-observation tasks from orbit can provide valuable research insights in fields such as meteorology, geology, forestry, cartography, and defense. Developing and building space payloads for Earth observation poses significant challenges, including the high cost of radiation-tolerant systems, the widening gap between current state-of-the-art apps and the capabilities of space-grade processors, and the increase in fidelity of modern sensors. Many Earth-observation missions typically collect data by leveraging visual and/or multispectral imagers. However, when using conventional imaging, there can be significant losses in context due to the frame-based operation of these sensors, as well as both relevant and irrelevant data mixed …

An Exploratory Study Of Soft Skills Development Expectations In Two-Year Generation Z College Students, Kelli Hallsten Erickson

The Interactive Journal of Global Leadership and Learning

Workplace demands around competent demonstration of soft skills have been steadily increasing; therefore, institutions of higher education have started focusing attention on instilling these skills within their student populations. The latest generational cohort to enter college and the workforce, Generation Z, has only recently begun to be studied for the impact of its members’ attitudes towards work and how those might change employer expectations around soft skills. A research gap exists, however, regarding students in Generation Z attending two-year schools and which soft skills they feel are most valuable to their future careers. This study sought to explore those attitudes …

Microgravity Testing Of A Thermal Start Basket For Propellant Repositioning, Hugh Chen, Álvaro Romero-Calvo

Small Satellite Conference

CubeSat cold-gas propulsion increasingly relies on two-phase propellants stored in conformal tanks. However, state-of-the-art propellant management strategies for these systems result in significant portions of the tank being occupied by vapor, reducing the amount of storable propellant. They also require high power input for vapor expulsion, increasing mission complexity and limiting operational lifetime. These challenges highlight the need for a more robust propellant management approach. The VAporization for PrOpellant Repositioning (VAPOR) experiment investigates the feasibility of repositioning an ullage gas bubble of R-236fa using thermally-induced phase change in various propellant management devices (PMD). These devices utilize a heat source to …

Development Of The Music Hall Thruster Family For Small Satellite Missions: Current Status And Upcoming Missions, George-Cristian Potrivitu, Matteo Laterza, Khoo Kai Sheng, Nunki Pontianus, Suryono Gunawan Ali, Justin Ong, Dylan Lim, Zhuo Xuan Chua, Wei Jian Joshua Lim, Willem Frederik Von Lynden, Garreth Christopher Anwar, Mooi Meng Wai, Jian Wei Mark Lim

Small Satellite Conference

The MUSIC – MUlti-Stage Ignition Compact – Hall thruster family is developed to operate at system power below 100 W making it ideal for small satellites ranging from 3 U to a few 100 kg. The concept relies on the versatility of the MUSIC thruster unit which can be operated in various modes, and the modularity of the peripherals, i.e., the power and electronic control units, and propellant management assembly. This contribution expands the existing scarce literature on low-power Hall thruster systems that are qualified for flight, presents an overview of the capabilities of the MUSIC Hall thruster, past and …

Ecaps High-Performance Green Propulsion – Enabling Tactically Responsive Space Missions, Wilhelm Dingertz, Peter Thormählen, Odysseas Christofi

Small Satellite Conference

In a rapidly evolving geopolitical landscape where space is increasingly viewed as the fourth operational domain, tactically responsive launch capabilities and in-orbit maneuverability are critical. The ability to pre-load spacecraft and maintain them in a ready-to-launch state enables quicker response times, essential for strategic operations. Longterm storable, non/low-hazardous "green" propellants, such as ECAPS’ LMP-103S based on Ammonium DiNitramide (ADN), are key to this agility. These propellants offer improved performance, reduced environmental and operational risks, and facilitate faster spacecraft processing and storage. ECAPS High-Performance Green Propulsion (HPGP) technology has achieved extensive flight heritage with its 1N thruster, across 30+ missions, typically …

Consolidated Simultaneous Ranging And Clock Synchronization With Application To Positioning In Cis-Lunar Space, Junichiro Kawagichi, Shingo Nishimoto

Small Satellite Conference

The AOWR scheme functions as a set of transceivers connecting two entities: the ground station and the spacecraft. The phase difference information obtained from both sides intrinsically contains data related not only to the range but also to the clock difference simultaneously. The AOWR scheme can synchronize the clock onboard the spacecraft regardless of the distance. In cis-lunar space due to poor geometric configurations, until the position is determined, the clock difference cannot be established. It drastically improves and reduces the dilution-of-precision index. The paper will present the outcomes confirmed through demonstration experiments utilizing hybrid devices related to the GNSS …

Standards And Schematics For Intelligent Extensible Mission Architectures In Space, Evana Gizzi, Alan Gibson, James Marshall, Shannon Bull, Timothy Chase Jr., Jonathan Davis, Matthew Dosberg, Michael Johnson, Peter Knudtson, John Lucas, Michael Monaghan, Chris Robberts, Daniel Rogers, Bethany Theiling, Julie Breed, Larry Kepko, Carrie Vuyovich, Connor Firth, Lily Clough, Aaron Woodard, Brian Kempa, Caleb Adams, Robin Onsay, Sam Pedrotty, James Berck

Small Satellite Conference

As the space sector trends toward complex mission types, the demand for multi-asset, multi-generational, and multi-organizational paradigms has grown. It is critical that the spaceflight community builds the infrastructure needed to realize these mission architecture goals. To this end, we present a standard and schematic for intelligent extensible mission architectures, which will allow missions of the future to be distributed, heterogeneous, incremental, and interoperable for enhanced flexibility, adaptability, and responsiveness in space. We begin by describing a motivation for intelligent extensibility, followed by a review of related work in standards and autonomous multi-agent systems. Next, we present the theoretical definition …

Quarcs Light: Validation Of An Abbreviated Assessment Of Undergraduate Numeracy And Mathematics Affect, Isaac S. Rosenthal, Kate Follette, Vonna L. Hemmler, Catherine Sarosi, Sanlyn Buxner, Erin Galyen, Margaret Shea, Soon-Young Shimizu, Brendan Seto

Numeracy

In this study, we present evidence for the validity of a shortened form of the Quantitative Reasoning for College Science (QuaRCS) Assessment, a validated instrument assessing the numeracy and math-related affect of undergraduate students in general education/introductory science courses. Previously published analyses of QuaRCS data revealed that 1) roughly 30% of students found the assessment boring, leading to lower self-reported effort and 2) affective factors (e.g. numerical self-efficacy) were significant predictors of QuaRCS score. As a result, we reduced the length of the assessment from 25 to 15 quantitative items, and expanded the affective variable selection from three to eight …

Building Oklahoma’S First Cubesat Program: A Student’S Perspective, John O'Hara, Imraan Faruque, Peter Lopresti, Cannon Kilcrease

Small Satellite Conference

OKSat is a student-led, multi-university effort to launch Oklahoma’s first CubeSat. Built from the ground up, the program has provided students with hands-on experience in space systems engineering, leadership, and cross-institutional collaboration. This poster shares lessons learned from establishing and growing the program, highlighting strategies that support sustainable, student-driven satellite development—especially in regions without established aerospace programs.

Revolutionizing Space Thermal Control: The Breakthroughs And Applications Of Pulsating Heat Pipes, Matt Schultz, Jimmy Hughes, Mckenzie Sandberg

Small Satellite Conference

The development of Pulsating Heat Pipes (PHP) offers significant advancements in thermal control technologies. This poster reviews the fundamental mechanisms of PHPs, manufacturing processes, and focuses on how PHPs fit into the current thermal architecture for satellite, payload, and instrument thermal control to identify the best use cases and application of the emerging technology.

Propelling The Future Of Satellite Mobility: In-Orbit Demonstration Of The Go-2 Electric Propulsion System, Kevin Lausten

Small Satellite Conference

As satellite deployment accelerates across both commercial and institutional missions, the limitations of onboard propulsion, especially in SmallSats, are emerging as a key constraint in mission flexibility and sustainability. In 2023, more than 2,860 SmallSats were launched, accounting for 97% of all spacecraft and 63% of total orbital mass [1].

Despite this expansion, propulsion remains a critical constraint in the SmallSat development ecosystem. As of 2024, only 222 nanosatellites out of 2714 nanosatellites launched had confirmed onboard propulsion systems [5], limiting maneuverability, increasing deployment risks, and contributing to orbital debris. This gap reflects not a lack of technological capability, but …

Streamlined Calibration For Small Satellite Optical Payloads, Deron Scott, Cole Miller, Eli Shay, Shane Canfield, Scott Hansen, Matt Berghout, Jan Kunzler, Duane Miles

Small Satellite Conference

Poster presented during the 2025 SmallSat Conference.

Three-Dimensional Radiation Patterns Of Cubesats And Link Budget Without Attitude Control, Daisuke Nakayama, Kei Sano, Rin Sato, Yusuke Iwaki, Shunya Hayashi, Arisa Oho, Sayanju Sirash

Small Satellite Conference

As CubeSat missions demand higher data rates, directional patch antennas have increasingly replaced traditional monopole or dipole antennas, and ensuring omnidirectional coverage—especially under tumbling conditions—has become critical. To address this, we developed a three-dimensional radiation pattern measurement system that enables the evaluation of antenna characteristics across all possible CubeSat attitudes. To apply these measurements to practical operations, we introduce the Coverage Ratio of CubeSat Attitude (CRCA), which intuitively represents the percentage of satellite orientations that exceed a given required gain. In this study, we apply this methodology to the S-band downlink antenna system of VERTECS, a 6U CubeSat developed by …

Nexosim, An Open-Source, Rust-Based Digital Twinning Framework For Hardware-In-The-Loop Testing And Virtual Flatsats, Serge Barral, Adam Chikha, Maciej Główka, Jakub Gramatyka, Illia Manzelha, Stanisław Massalski, Jaŭhien Piatlicki

Small Satellite Conference

Digital twinning has become a cornerstone of modern space systems, enabling robust in-orbit operations and ground verification and validation. For over two decades, major spacecraft manufacturers and space agencies have relied on Discrete Event Simulation (DES) to achieve these goals. The C++-based Simulation Modelling Platform (SMP), now an ECSS standard, has emerged as a unifying framework for these efforts. Despite the tremendous benefits of simulation-assisted spacecraft development, the complexity, rigidity, and lack of vendor-neutral implementations of SMP have limited its adoption in academia and the NewSpace sector. This gap is particularly concerning given the high failure rate of SmallSat missions, …

Novel Pressure-Based Electric Propulsion Discovery, Wesley Faler, Brad Berkson

Small Satellite Conference

This paper presents a novel electric propulsion system that uses pulsed plasma and ion- electron recombination to generate thrust primarily from internal pressure, using water vapor as propellant. In-space testing of the Poseidon^™ thruster demonstrated 37.49 mN average thrust and over 4,800 seconds specific impulse at under 1.5 W input power. A physics-based model captures the full mass, energy, and momentum balances and matches experimental results, supporting pressure as the dominant thrust mechanism. Experimental detection of proton–boron fusion in the exhaust plume further validates the system's plasma behavior and confirms a key element of its operating cycle.

Compact Satellites For Big Insights: Mission Analysis Of A 16u Cubesat For High-Resolution Earth Observation, Abdelmadjid Lassakeur, Kamel Djamel Eddine Kerrouche, Imène Taleb, Abdelhak Benikhlef, Mohammed Amine Meghabber

Small Satellite Conference

The demand for high-resolution Earth observation data has been growing rapidly, driven by applications in environmental monitoring, disaster response, urban planning, and defense. Governments, research institutions, and private companies increasingly rely on detailed satellite imagery to make informed decisions. However, traditional Earth observation satellites are often expensive and require long development timelines, creating a need for more compact and cost-effective solutions. Recent advancements in CubeSat technology, particularly in high-performance Attitude Determination and Control Systems (ADCS), have significantly expanded the capabilities of nanosatellites. These improvements have made it possible for smaller satellites to achieve imaging performance once limited to larger spacecraft. …

Big Data Solutions For Cubesat Mission Operations: A Case Study From The Michigan Exploration Lab, Daniil Voloshin, James W. Cutler

Small Satellite Conference

As space missions generate increasingly vast and complex datasets, efficient data management and processing solutions are critical. At the Michigan eXploration Lab (MXL) at the University of Michigan, where we design, build, and operate CubeSats, we have adopted big data technologies, specifically a Hadoop and Spark-based cluster, to address challenges in handling and analyzing large-scale data. These challenges include processing raw I/Q sample recordings from CubeSat satellite passes and suborbital missions, as well as mission-long spacecraft telemetry. The cluster leverages the distributed storage capabilities of the Hadoop Distributed File System (HDFS) and the in-memory data processing power of Apache Spark, …

Exploring Beamed Energy Propulsion: Development And Application Of A Configurable Simulation Tool, Charles Cundiff, Michael Harrington, Victoria Coverstone, John Larosa

Small Satellite Conference

Laser sailing enables propellantless spacecraft propulsion by transferring momentum from a directed energy beam to a reflective sail. Unlike traditional chemical or electric propulsion systems, laser sails decouple propulsion performance from onboard mass and stored energy, presenting an opportunity for lightweight, scalable spacecraft maneuvering. This work develops and applies a simulation framework in FreeFlyer to evaluate the performance of laser sailing across a range of orbital missions, with emphasis on low-mass systems, such as CubeSats.

The simulation model incorporates several critical physical effects, including beam divergence, atmospheric attenuation, sail material reflectivity and emissivity, thermal loading, and realistic station visibility. The …

A Dynamic Wireless Channel Emulator For Realistic Cubesat Testing, David Michelson, Eisha Khan, Max Xiang, Yun Xing, Ada Li, Ryan Manak

Small Satellite Conference

Failure of the communication subsystem has been responsible for approximately 20% of small satellite mission failures over the period between 2000 and 2019. Insufficient system-level integration and testing has been cited as one reason why corrective actions weren’t taken before launch to prevent such failures. Here, we introduce a relatively inexpensive GTEM-cell-based dynamic channel emulator that will permit designers of CubeSats operating at frequencies up to 20 GHz to evaluate their spacecraft’s communications over multiple simulated passes with the spacecraft in as close to over-the-air flight condition as possible, including fully deployed antennas. Using this over-the-air channel emulator allows the …

Impact Of Physical Interfaces And Interconnectivity On Cubesat Complexity, Development Schedule, And Cost: A Comparative Analysis Of Curtis 3u, Kitsune 6u, And Vertecs 6u, Eyoas Ergetu Areda, Rodrigo Cordova-Alarcon, Hriokazu Masui, Necmi Örger, Kei Sano, Mengu Cho, Takao Nakagawa

Small Satellite Conference

Background

• CubeSat designs vary in their physical interfaces and subsystem interconnectivity, significantly affecting assembly effort, design complexity, and mission reliability.
• This study aims to quantify these effects using standardized assembly and complexity metrics combined with reliability assessment.

Squidsat: Preparing Future Workforce Using Competition, Joe Dubois, Aaron Bournias, Joe Dukowitz

Small Satellite Conference

SquidSat is a 3u student-led CubeSat mission funded and mentored by the Interplanetary Initiative Lab (IPL) at Arizona State University (ASU). The Overarching goal of SquidSat is to streamline CubeSat development and make payload integration as simple as possible for as large of a range of payload requirements as possible. This idea encourages a wide range of development within the space industry and universities, as it provides ways for professors and students alike to make a satellite payload without needing to know how to make an entire satellite. SquidSat utilizes the spirit of competition to encourage students, labs, and companies …