Digital Commons Network^™

Spacenet Testbed – Small Satellite Constellation Network Emulation Of Real-World Scenarios, Suryansh Aryan, Jack Downs, Alexander Kedrowitsch, Josh Smith, Alexa Houck, Samantha P. Kenyon

Small Satellite Conference

Poster presented during the 2025 SmallSat Conference.

Tbearr - Tardigrade Bio-Exploration Reproduction Research Satellite, Natalie Brattain, Kylie Nager, Joshua T. Lozano, Matas Ubartas, Chloe Nissen

Small Satellite Conference

The mission aims to launch four separate cultures of tardigrades aboard a 3U CubeSat to Low Earth Orbit to study the effects of UV and cosmic radiation on their genetics and cell composition, which may, in turn, affect their reproduction cycle.

• tBEARR is a 3U CubeSat mission under development by the Embry-Riddle Orbital Research Association (ERORA), an undergraduate research club at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, FL.

• Critical life support systems will be developed to maintain tardigrade viability as orbital experiments are being conducted.

• Tardigrades, in their cryptobiotic state, will be exposed to space radiation and …

Utilizing Software-Defined Radio Technology In The Development And Operation Of A Backup S-Band Ground Station For The Onglaisat Cubesat, Yiyu Chang, Loran Chang, Chen-Yu Chan, Yih-Min Chen

Small Satellite Conference

The ONGLAISAT CubeSat, jointly developed by Taiwan Space Agency (TASA), the University of Tokyo, and Ark Edge Space, was launched in Q4 2024 to conduct optical remote sensing. To support downlink operations via S-band, National Central University (NCU) established a backup ground station. A complete lifecycle plan was implemented, incorporating Software Defined Radio (SDR)-based signal analysis, CCSDS-compatible telemetry visualization via WINGS, and end-to-end RF testing. Initial on-orbit signals were successfully received in Q1 2025. Doppler shift and power fluctuation analysis demonstrated system performance and operational readiness. In addition, signal comparison can serve as an alternative method for determining the satellite's …

Rosisat - The Radiation Orbital Shielding Investigation Satellite, Steven Insignares, Jacob Blanton, Colson Walker

Small Satellite Conference

• The Radiation Orbital Shielding Investigation Satellite (ROSISat) is an ongoing 1U CubeSat project designed to study the effectiveness of various materials as shielding against single-event upsets and effects on computer memory modules in Earth orbit.
• ROSISat is a student project managed under the Embry-Riddle Orbital Research Association (ERORA), a registered student organization at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, Florida.
• It is one of three projects from ERORA presented at this conference, alongside tBEARR and SATLASS.
• ROSISat aims to be the first of ERORA’s projects to be launched and operational in LEO, serving to develop CubeSat flight heritage at ERAU.

The University Of South Carolina's Journey To The Launchpad, Patrick Bailey, Wout De Backer

Small Satellite Conference

A student team at the University of South Carolina is currently working to address the state’s needs for astronautics to both students and to the economy through collaborative efforts with other state institutions. This paper intends to cover the mission concept formulation, areas of beneficial technology development in space, and mission objectives that are to be accomplished for both human and technical capabilities within the state throughout the mission duration. The mission concept covers using 3D printing in space for on-orbit manufacturing capabilities, and the need for development of a computer vision algorithm and system for small space debris detection. …

Efficient Adaptive Thruster Control Strategies For Nanosatellite Attitude Control, Tian Cilliers, Willem Herman Steyn, Hendrik Willem Jordaan

Small Satellite Conference

This work explores the use of online estimation techniques to enhance advanced thruster-only attitude control strategies. Classical fixed-gain feedback control and newer model predictive control (MPC) based approaches all suffer from reduced efficiency or performance when the system parameters deviate from their nominal values. By incorporating optimal estimation techniques, this can be avoided and deviations from nominal values can be leveraged for fault detection, isolation, and recovery (FDIR).

Specifically, this work investigates the use of extended Kalman filters (EKF) to estimate parameters such as thruster torque and disturbances in real time, using satellite attitude measurements and known control inputs. In …

Finch Eye: The Optical And Optomechanical Design Of A Grism-Based Swir Hyperspectral Imaging Payload For A 3u Cubesat, Iliya Shofman, Mario Ghio Neto, Theaswanth Ganesh, Kenya He, Aidan Armstrong, Ksenya Narkevich

Small Satellite Conference

Crop residue is an important metric used for agricultural land-use monitoring and climate science research. Estimating crop residue coverage is essential to sustainable agricultural practices. There already exist scientific hyperspectral satellites, such as PRISMA and EnMAP, that can be used for crop residue estimation; however, they are very expensive to build and cannot be monopolized by individual farms. This leaves a gap in satellite remote sensing solutions which can be deployed operationally and at the farm scale. We seek to fill this gap by developing a low-cost satellite solution for crop residue estimation. The University of Toronto Aerospace Team is …

Hermes: A Satellite Surrogate Communication Testbed For Ground-Station Validation Using Software Defined Radio And Openc3 Cosmos, Luiz Felipe Bromfman, Gustavo Gargioni, Zach Leffke, Jonathan Black

Small Satellite Conference

Poster presented during the 2025 SmallSat Conference.

An Inter-Satellite Link Experiment On Pearl-1a And Pearl-1b Cubesats, Yun-Ru Chen, Wei-Rong Huang, Chi-Kuang Chao, Jen-Ming Wu

Small Satellite Conference

PEARL (Propagation Experiment using kurz-Above-band radio in Low earth orbit) -1A and PEARL-1B are two 6U XL CubeSats integrated by National Central University (NCU) are designed to perform space-to-earth and inter-satellite radio propagation channel experiments over Taiwan for educational training and scientific research. Both CubSats have the same structures and configurations. Each CubeSat will carry three payloads, an Inter-Satellite Link (ISL) payload, a Compact Ionospheric Probe (CIP), and a Perovskite Solar Cell (PSC) payload. The ISL enables over-the-horizon radio communication experiments, utilizing the Ka-band for both inter-satellite communication and space-to-ground communications. The CIP is an all-in-one in-situ ion sensor developed …

Development Of 6u Cubesat Vertecs Utilizing The Birds Bus System, Yukihisa Otani, Jose Rodrigo Cordova-Alarcon, Victor Hugo Schulz, Ryo Hashimoto, Kei Sano, Takao Nakagawa

Small Satellite Conference

Poster presented during the 2025 SmallSat Conference.

Detumbling Analysis And Attitude Stabilization Of Spicesat: A Closed-Loop Control Verification Framework, Spencer Talish, Francesca Fusco

Small Satellite Conference

This study investigates the detumbling capabilities of SPICEsat following an initial angular disturbance imparted by the deployer. SPICEsat, which stands for Sloshing Platform for In Orbit Controller Experimentation, is a 6U CubeSat developed by Rutgers University to investigate the effects of fuel sloshing on spacecraft stability and control. Top level, this research’s objective is to confirm SPICEsat's ability to reduce angular momentum, thereby achieving a stabilized post-deployment attitude. This is referred to as detumbling, or the process of reducing a satellite’s rotational rates following deployment. The system-level focus centers on assessing the control authority of the Blue Canyon Technologies (BCT) …

Development Of A Scalable Electrical And Mechanical Backplane For The Guaranisat-2 Cubesat Mission, Edgar Elias Ramirez Sosa

Small Satellite Conference

This paper presents the design, development, and validation of a custom backplane interface board for GuaraniSat-2, Paraguay's second nanosatellite. GuaraniSat-2 is a 3U CubeSat developed through a collaborative effort led by the Paraguayan Space Agency (AEP) and SpaceLab, with the active participation of stakeholders such as the Polytechnic and Engineering Faculties of the National University of Asunción (UNA), Catholic University of Asunción (UCA), the LIESE lab at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), and Astradyne, an Italian startup spun off from the Polytechnic University of Bari (Politecnico di Bari). The backplane board functions as …

Satellite Navigation With Earth Islands For Scope-1, S. Anand Agrawal, Brandon A. Jones

Small Satellite Conference

Spacecraft optical navigation can deliver autonomous navigation onboard when Earth-based tracking is saturated, obstructed, or impractical. Optical navigation relies on the correspondences between detected and known or mapped features in imagery to extract position and/or velocity, and data-driven methods, which directly leverage collected data to learn, can improve detection performance. This paper presents an initial data-driven Earth-based detection system using islands as landmarks for the SpaceCraft for Optical- based Position Estimation-1 (SCOPE-1) 3U CubeSat, which will be paired on board with a physics-based estimation framework. The system consists of an island detector trained on Earth observation imagery of islands, an …

Physical Implementation Of Sprint (Space-Based Prioritized Real-Time Inter-Satellite Network Technology), Maleeha Altaf, Dalia Ammar Khodja, Ryan Adams, Sreejith Vidhyadharan Nair, Ronald Fevig

Small Satellite Conference

Poster presented during the 2025 SmallSat Conference.

Sailing To The Stars: Free-Flying Light Sails In Microgravity, Verena Padres, Dionna Parina, Parishee Bajaj, Shashank Chalamalasetty, Cameron Goddard, Gabriella Elcsics-Gonzáles, Joshua Umansky-Castro, Claire Kim, Ethan Francolla, Mason Peck, Andrew Filo, Alex Burke

Small Satellite Conference

Sailing to the Stars is a mission led by students at Cornell University that will use the International Space Station (ISS) to gather data related to the deployment of free-flying light sails in microgravity. As this light sail architecture is relatively new, additional information on how the sail deploys and the optimal deployment system is desired. This information is relevant for guiding the design of future missions that use this technology. For this experiment, astronauts shall deploy six light sails from two different CubeSat-scale deployer designs within the ISS. Video footage and IMU data will be recorded throughout the experiment, …

Testing, Verification, And Qualification Of A Self-Developed Pcdu For The Student-Built Cubesat Source, Jan Freyhardt, Silas Neumann, Kevin Waizenegger, Daniel Galla, Sabine Klinkner

Small Satellite Conference

Poster presented during the 2025 SmallSat Conference.

Toward Trusted Onboard Ai: Advancing Small Satellite Operations Using Reinforcement Learning, Cannon Whitney, Joseph Melville

Small Satellite Conference

A Reinforcement Learning (RL) algorithm was developed for command automation onboard a 3U CubeSat. This effort focused on the implementation of macro Control Action Reinforcement Learning (CARL), a technique in which an onboard agent is provided with compiled information based on live telemetry as its observation. The agent uses this information to produce high-level actions, such as adjusting attitude to solar pointing, which are then translated into control algorithms and executed through lower-level instructions. Once trust in the onboard agent is established, real-time environmental information can be leveraged for faster response times and reduced reliance on ground control. The approach …

Twistr: A Scalable, Low-Cost Microsatellite Rotation Device For Spacecraft Assembly Integration And Testing, Alex Leaf, Suraj Sridharan, Simon Grocott, Robert E. Zee

Small Satellite Conference

Increased industry demand for microsatellite missions calls for aggressive project timelines without sacrificing intricate development practices. Delivering missions at a faster pace relies strongly on both assembly processes, and ground support equipment, used through mission development cycles. Procedural challenges often arise in positioning larger spacecraft within the laboratory environment for various testing campaigns. Deployable mechanism, vibration, thermal vacuum, and electromagnetic compatibility testing often require spacecraft to be held under multiple orientations. Dual-axis rotation devices offer a means to position spacecraft in any orientation, proving a versatile spacecraft assembly, integration, and testing platform.

The development of a low-cost dual-axis rotation device …

A High-Sensitivity, Low-Power Magneto-Inductive Magnetometer For Space-Based Magnetic Field Measurements And Noise Mitigation, Rowan Antonuccio, Kade Howes, Josh Taylor, Charles Swenson

Small Satellite Conference

This paper presents a discrete-component, magneto-inductive (MI) magnetometer designed for CubeSat-class spacecraft. The sensor operates using an RL relaxation oscillator with FPGA-based pulse counting, achieving picotesla-scale resolution at 1 Hz with 25 mW power consumption. To minimize electromagnetic interference and maintain orthogonality, the sensing coils are housed in a rigid, boom-mounted enclosure constructed from non-magnetic materials. This architecture enhances measurement fidelity and supports in-orbit reconfiguration, offering a low-power research platform suitable for high-resolution magnetic field sensing.

Development Of A Compact Optical Communications Terminal For The Pulse-A Cubesat, Sofia Mansilla, Seth Knights, Natalie Orrantia, Maya Mcdaniel, Daniel Lee, Oliver Shoemaker, Aidan Etterer, Aishani Mohan, Chris Wong, Juan Ignacio Prieto Asbun, Robert Pitu, Logan Hanssler, Annie Shuford, Eliana Schiller, Kira Chin, Graydon Schulze-Kalt, Danielle Zumi Riekse, Mira Singh, Alexandra Yao, Vicky Bardon Soto, Natalie Sauer, Vidya Suri, Tian Zhong

Small Satellite Conference

The Polarization-modUlated Laser Satellite Experiment (PULSE-A) at the University of Chicago aims to demonstrate the feasibility of circular polarization shift keyed (CPolSK) satellite-to-ground laser communication links. The project aims to advance high-speed optical satellite-to-ground communications as an alternative to the traditionally used radio frequencies. PULSE-A thus requires the development of a compact, low-loss optical communications terminal capable of emitting collimated and high-power circularly polarized light modulated at high frequencies. Here we present a design for an optical communications terminal capable of achieving output powers of up to 230 mW at modulation frequencies from 1 to 10 MHz with a maximum …

Automated Pointing Budget And Reaction Wheel Sizing Tool For Cubesat Attitude Control With Iterative Sensitivity Analysis, Logan Thompson, Matthew Devor, Michael Harrigan, Victoria Coverstone

Small Satellite Conference

Reaction wheels are a widely used solution for CubeSat attitude control, offering precise pointing capabilities without the need for a propulsion system. However, sizing reaction wheels correctly is a persistent challenge due to the difficulty of accurately defining the pointing budget, which determines the required torque and momentum storage capacity. Designers must account for mission-specific constraints, spacecraft mass properties, and environmental disturbances, all of which introduce uncertainty into the sizing process. As a result, reaction wheels are often either oversized, leading to unnecessary mass and power consumption, or undersized, risking performance failures such as saturation. To address this challenge, a …

Conceptual Design Of A Low Orbit Dust Detector Powder, Matheus De Carvalho Abelha, Felipe Oliveira Tavares, Marco Antonio Ridenti, Luís Eduardo Vergueiro Loures Da Costa

Small Satellite Conference

The Pulse Observation OWing to Dust impact ExpeRiment (POWDER) instrument is a conceptual lunar orbital dust detector designed to measure and analyze dust impacts at a lunar polar orbit. POWDER operates by detecting electric charges generated during dust collisions on a designated collector surface. This study is focused on analyzing the design feasibility for a collecting surface plate, in terms of generated voltage signal from dust impact in comparison to the base ambient noise level. The low amplitude of the voltage signal presents significant challenges, as measuring such a faint signal requires …

Contentcube: 1u Cubesat Mission Testing External Display Screens In Orbit, G. Plourde, J. Effenberger, M. Esser, N. Hernandez

Small Satellite Conference

Poster presented during the 2025 SmallSat Conference.

Developing A Full System Thermal Analysis Of A Cubesat To Design A Low-Cost Battery Heater System, Owen Nesbit, Sydney Whilden, Deepak R. Mishra

Small Satellite Conference

The Mission for Education and Multimedia Engagement Satellite (MEMESat-1) is a low-budget 2U CubeSat under development by the University of Georgia Small Satellite Research Laboratory. Once launched into LEO, the CubeSat will serve as an FM repeater for the Ham Radio community and will uplink and downlink donor-submitted images.

To verify that all MemeSAT-1 electrical components remain within their operational temperature limits throughout its lifetime, a system-level thermal analysis is performed using C&R Technology’s Thermal Desktop. This software allows for the satellite to be subjected to LEO temperatures and solar radiation, accurately simulating the amount …

Conceptual Design Of An Integrated Small Satellite Environmental Testing Platform: Addressing Subsystem Integration Challenges, Benjamin Ochs, Michael Harrigan, Victoria Coverstone

Small Satellite Conference

Environmental testing for small satellites often relies on separate systems to simulate space conditions, resulting in inefficiencies, increased operating costs, and challenges in accurately modeling the complex environment. This paper presents the conceptual design of an integrated testing platform that combines thermal, vacuum, solar, magnetic, navigation, and attitude control simulations into a single piece of hardware to provide reliable mission assurance. The design emphasizes the modifications required to overcome unique interactions between subsystems, enabling simultaneous, realistic environmental qualification of small satellites while reducing cost and complexity.

The fully integrated environmental testing system incorporates a thermal vacuum chamber (TVAC) with an …

Extremely Low-Cost Optical Receiver For Extremely Low Resource Optical Identifiers, Ashin Alex, Joseph Ashby, Kevin Walker, Brennan Chai, Catherine Qualtrough, John E. Cater, Nicholas J. Rattenbury

Small Satellite Conference

Space object identification (SOI) is essential for space traffic management, situational awareness, and mission operations. The Extremely Low Resource Optical Identifier (ELROI), developed by Los Alamos National Laboratory, provides a persistent and interference-free identification method for small satellites through a self-powered optical beacon. ELROI transmits a unique identification code via low-power laser pulses, enabling ground stations to identify spaceborne assets without relying on traditional radio beacons. However, the efficacy of the ELROI system relies on the widespread availability of highly sensitive and cost-effective ground-based optical receivers. To address this need, we are developing a low-cost optical receiver capable of detecting …

Robot Swarm: A Test Platform For Spacecraft Formations, Colbren Fujimoto, Scott Ginoza, Yosef Ben Gershom

Small Satellite Conference

Satellite swarms are transforming space exploration by enabling cost-effective missions and distributed onboard intelligence. Precise formation control is critical for optimized data collection, collaborative sensing, and collision avoidance. NASA’s Starling mission demonstrates how scalable, autonomous swarms enable satellites to operate as a coordinated network in low Earth orbit [1]. This research project offers a practical, cost-effective platform for testing agile swarm formation control using physical robots, enabling testing and validation of formation control algorithms and evaluating their effectiveness. This project tests Interstel’s iCOSMOS-Swarm, a software platform designed for autonomous coordination of unmanned vehicle swarms. The formation includes four robots to …

Korucusat: A Student-Led Cubesat Mission Investigating Solar-Ionospheric Interactions And Promoting Stem Education, Tejash Gupta, Karthik Kuppuswamy, Zhaoheng Li, Eesa Abdulraouf, Cyrus Khabbaz

Small Satellite Conference

The Astronomy Society of Fulton Science Academy (ASFSA) is developing KorucuSAT, a 3U CubeSat designed to both inspire K–12 students through hands-on aerospace education and investigate how soft X-ray solar radiation impacts the Earth's F2 ionospheric layer. The satellite carries a Langmuir probe, three-axis magnetometer, and soft X-ray detector to correlate solar radiation with plasma parameters and geomagnetic activity, data critical to understanding disruptions in GNSS, HF communication, and radar systems. In parallel with its science goals, KorucuSAT is a platform for educational outreach, including classroom workshops, MIT Beaver Works curriculum integration, and a FlatSat-based Python coding challenge. The mission …

Lessons Learned In Establishing Student-Led Satellite Operations, Shirish Pandam, Avery Barriga, John Connolly, Helen Reed

Small Satellite Conference

AggieSat6 (AGS6) is a 6U CubeSat designed and developed by students at Texas A&M University through the University Nanosatellite Program (NS-10) cycle. Its mission demonstrates a space-based RF array for Space Domain Awareness and collects low-energy electron radiation data to improve existing models.

Students lead all in-flight operations, gaining hands-on experience in mission control experience. Key challenges include interface development, maintaining system knowledge, and mitigating the effects of frequent student turnover.

Application Of Lambert’S Problem To An Electromagnetic Docking Maneuver, Amber Diaz, Steve Stochaj

Small Satellite Conference

Poster presented during the 2025 SmallSat Conference.