Digital Commons Network^™

Fantasy In The Anthropocene, Brian Attebery, Marek Oziewicz, Jack Zipes

Mythcon

“Fantasy in the Anthropocene” was inspired by the Fantasy Scholarship finalist from last year, edited by U of MN Prof. Marek Oziewicz, Prof. Brian Attebery and Prof. Teresa Dédinova, a unique collection of mini essays, stories, poetry and artwork. As its description puts it, “Fantasy and myth have long been humanity’s most advanced technologies for collective dreaming. Today they are helping us adopt a biocentric lens, re-kin us with other forms of life, and assist us in the transition to an ecological civilization.” With both Brian and Marek available for this discussion, joined by Prof. Jack Zipes, we want to …

Our Flag Means Romance…Middle English Romance, That Is, Megan Abrahamson

Mythcon

Our Flag Means Death, a pirate romantic comedy released on HBO Max, has been discussed in terms of its mythopoesis by Sara Brown at OMS #3 (“Our Flag…Means Queer: Monstering the Majority Culture”), and has been studied as referencing Shakespearean motifs by Melissa Rohrer (“Sometimes the old tropes are the best tropes: Shakespeare and Our Flag Means Death”). In this talk, I showcase the Middle English and mostly Arthurian Romance elements we find in OFMD, particularly its episodic quest format, focus on homosocial bonds, and engagement with courtly love. Other minor motifs—such as a hero’s humble beginnings and …

Charles Williams Poetry Workshop, Eric Rauscher

Mythcon

This will be a group “close” reading of a couple of Charles Williams’s Arthurian poems. I will bring copies of the poems to pass out, and as a group (participation is encouraged but not required) we will read them in detail, parsing out meanings and sharing insights. What may seem obvious to one may be a revelation to another. We will also just enjoy the beauty of the poems by reading them out loud, the way they are meant to be heard. For those of you who have never been introduced to these poems, here is your chance. For those …

Testing Of Wideband Small Satellite Receivers In Complex Radio Frequency Environments Using Synthetic Spectrum Generation Techniques, August Lear, Erica Peterson, Nicolaas Handojo, Nathan Cole, Robert E. Zee

Small Satellite Conference

As spacecraft technology improves, smaller cost-effective spacecraft become capable of increasingly sophisticated Earth observation missions, including wideband Radio Frequency (RF) sensing. Current methods available for validating the RF payloads on-board these missions, such as on-orbit payload validation using a pathfinder mission, are expensive, time consuming, and difficult. The challenge of modelling the RF environment of an orbital receiver is increased by path characteristics that become nontrivial at orbital velocities and distances, as well as unique modelling challenges such as ionospheric delay and multiple transmitters. A fast, inexpensive method for validating RF sensing payloads on the ground is presented in this …

Design, Characterization, And Testing Of Hert, A Miniaturized High-Energy-Resolution Relativistic Electron Telescope For Cubesats, Hong Zhao, Will Teague, Lauren Blum, Xinlin Li, Jared Cantilina, Will Edgar, Tyler Bishop, Patricio Ramos, Skyler Krantz

Small Satellite Conference

Earth's outer radiation belt is filled with relativistic electrons in the MeV energy range and above. These highly energetic electrons pose significant threats to avionics and humans in space, and understanding their dynamics has been an urgent need. As CubeSats increasingly play a more prominent role by executing missions at a far lower cost, they become ideal vehicles for conducting such scientific investigations. The miniaturized High-Energy-Resolution relativistic electron Telescope (HERT) is a compact telescope designed for a 6U CubeSat mission in a geosynchronous transfer orbit (GTO). HERT aims to provide high-energy-resolution (dE/E < 12%) measurements of 1 - 7 MeV electrons at GTO. These measurements will enable a novel method to differentiate the two main acceleration mechanisms, inward radial transport and local acceleration, and solve the longstanding question of how electrons in the Earth's radiation belts are accelerated to relativistic energies. Building upon the heritage of the Relativistic Electron Proton Telescope (REPT) instrument on the Van Allen Probes and the REPTile-2 instrument on CIRBE, HERT iS comprised of a stack of nine solid-state silicon detectors in a telescope configuration with a beryllium window to block lower energy electrons and a tantalum collimator to enforce the required FOV (33°). The instrument responses were investigated using Geant4 simulations, and the results project HERT to have a nominal energy resolution of ~5% for 1.5 - 3 Me V electrons and < ~12% for other core energy channels. Radiation testing has been conducted with a Cobalt-60 source, and the results suggest that HERT electronics can sustain a total ionizing dose of ~65 krad, meeting the instrument performance requirement in a GTO. Random vibration simulations have also been conducted, which suggest that HERT's reaction stresses and displacements are within a significant safety factor relative to yield strength from each component. Bench testing with muons and an SR-90/Y-90 radioactive source is ongoing to test HERT's performance. With a high energy resolution and a miniaturized design, HERT will greatly advance the quantitative understanding of relativistic electron acceleration in the outer radiation belt.

Development Of A Compact Wide-Field Telescope To Be Mounted On Vertecs, Kohji Takimoto, Takao Nakagawa, Aoi Takahashi, Kei Sano, Yuto Tome, Hisataka Kawasaki, Shunsuke Nakagawa, Rin Sato, Shuji Matsuura, Yuki Hirose, Akimasa Ojika, Akane Tsumoto, Taiko Iwaki, Kohji Tsumura

Small Satellite Conference

In recent years, CubeSat projects have initiated plans to conduct astronomical observations by deploying mission payloads. CubeSats present a promising solution for swiftly addressing critical challenges in astrophysics with flexibility. Within Cubeats, where both the bus system and mission payload occupy about half of the volume, there is a necessity to miniaturize mission equipment. The critical factor in astronomical observations, light-gathering ability, is determined not only by the aperture size but, more importantly for diffuse emission, by the optical throughput, i.e., the product of the aperture area and the observing solid angle. Consequently, even with a compact optical system, specializing …

Minicor: Miniature Coronagraph For Heliophysics Research, Angelos Vourlidas, Aaron Magner, James Mason, Luc Gilles, Joe Centurelli, Arnaud Thernisien, Clarence Korendyke, Gabriel Gutierrez, Giogia Casadei, Miguel Pereira

Small Satellite Conference

Coronagraphs are the only instruments that can capture the development of coronal mass ejections (CMEs) throughout the near-Sun space. Thus, they provide critical information for the physics of CME evolution and propagation and consequently for space weather forecasting. It makes strategic sense to lower the technological and logistical barriers for maintaining space-based coronagraphic observations. MiniCOR is an ambitious coronagraph design to address these challenges. The technical goal of MiniCOR is to demonstrate that a low-cost miniaturized 3U coronagraph, can return data with higher cadence and equal or better sensitivity than currently operating full-size coronagraphs. MiniCOR is a funded project under …

Untangling Safe-Mode Anomalies On The Cute Cubesat, Sebastian Escobar, Arika Egan, Kevin France, Dolon Bhattacharyya

Small Satellite Conference

The Colorado Ultraviolet Transit Experiment (CUTE) is NASA's first 6U NASA Astrophysics CubeSat built by the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP). Its primary purpose is to observe the evolving atmospheres of short-period exoplanets in the near-ultraviolet. It was launched in September 2021 into a ~560 km, polar orbit with a 98.5° inclination. The spacecraft bus, featuring avionics and an attitude determination and control system (ADCS) with a single star tracker, was supplied by Blue Canyon Technologies (BCT). Since its launch, CUTE has experienced an unusually high frequency of ADCS-driven safe mode events, occurring up to three times per …

Big Red Sat-1: Mission Overview And Future Opportunities For Perovskites In Low Earth Orbit, Walker S. Arce, Vince Orsi, Nick Wayman, Joel Murch-Shafer, Karen Stelling, Robert Schmidt, Kelly Schutt, Joseph M. Luther, Hadi Afshari, Ian Sellers

Small Satellite Conference

Perovskite solar cells are an emerging technology that holds the promise of reducing the size and weight of solar panels on satellites. While many research laboratories have produced perovskite solar cells and characterized their performance in laboratory conditions, few have endeavored to launch them into space. The Big Red Sat-1 (BRS-1) is one such satellite, designed to incorporate three different perovskite solar cell architectures along with custom curve tracing instrumentation for launch into low earth orbit through NASA's CubeSat Launch Initiative. The curve tracer is realized using a precision resistor ladder with high quality current and voltage measurements. Perovskite solar …

Development And Performance Of The Engineering Model Of Arica-2, Takanori Sakamoto, Motoko Serino, Yuki Tsuji, Tomoya Ushimaru, Nao Urakabe, Hiroki Kato, Keiju Asano, Chisaki Iwanaga, Yoshihiro Takagi, Kazumasa Hiroshi, Shuntaro Morikawa, Shion Nojima, Hayato Mabuchi, Teruaki Enoto

Small Satellite Conference

We present the status of the engineering model (EM) of 2U Cubesat, AGU Remote Innovative Cubesat Alert system-2 (ARICA-2). The main goal of ARICA-2 is to demonstrate the real-time alert system of transient astronomical sources, such as gamma-ray bursts (GRBs), using commercial satellite network services such as Iridium and Globalstar. In parallel, we have a dedicated amateur mission to provide a "store and forward" capability for communication among amateurs. The GRB alert and the housekeeping data are also broadcast through the amateur CW transmitter. ARICA-2 was selected as one of the JAXA Innovative Satellite Technology Demonstration-4 projects in 2022 and …

Statistical Anomaly Analysis Of Small Satellite Missions Focusing On Payloads, Alexander Schmidt, Nico Gerster, Johannes Bachmann, Alexander Groß, Roger Förstner

Small Satellite Conference

With the rapid development of space technology, the number of new satellites has expanded rapidly in recent years, and the applications of satellites have gradually expanded into other industries and deeper into academia. While the small satellite category is experiencing significant growth, the behavior of small satellites still requires more in-depth study. A growing number of academic and industrial customers are looking to use satellites to achieve their scientific or business goals without having to develop a full satellite mission, including a satellite platform. Hosting payloads on other satellites or procuring pre-qualified platforms enables new mission flexibility while minimizing the …

Ezie-Mag: Empowering Students Nationwide In Space Science Exploration And Education, Jesper Gjerloev, Robin Barnes, Adebayo Eisape, Nelli Mosavi-Hoyer, Troy Cline, Christine Kalapala, Peter Seelman, Harry Rathbun

Small Satellite Conference

EZIE-Mag is a national STEM engagement program that is deploying 700 magnetometer kits free to schools across the United States. The EZIE-Mag is a comprehensive kit that provides science-quality measurements of earth's magnetic field at an ultra-low cost while being extremely easy to deploy and operate. The EZIE-Mag is part of the outreach component for the NASA Electrojet Zeeman Imaging Explorer (EZIE) mission and provides students the unprecedented opportunity to observe and collect meaningful scientific data. This will enable them to connect with scientists around the world, and create a memorable and meaningful experience. The target age group for this …

Standing Up A Pragmatic Space Training Program At A Non-Traditional Space University, Bt Cesul, Stanley Kennedy Jr., Christopher Olson, Zakaria Mahmud, Edoardo Sarda, Christopher Smith

Small Satellite Conference

As the commercial and national security economics behind the development of space-based services heats up, revenue forecasts are exploding. "NewSpace" companies as well as traditional aerospace focused corporations are developing and deploying unprecedented numbers of new space-based systems, providing communications, remote sensing, navigation, and national security benefits to a global marketplace. The demand signal for trained and qualified space professionals has never been greater. Within the space professional ecosystem, universities have traditionally focused either on the space systems design aspect, the theoretical aspects of mission design, or the payload design and analysis. However, other aspects of the space economy are …

Tolkien’S Orphaned Heroes: Kullervo, Húrin And The Limits Of Fostering, Deidre Dawson

Journal of Tolkien Research

Tolkien’s legendarium features many characters who have lost one or both parents through death or abandonment, and who are consequently fostered or adopted. While there are many positive depictions of fostering in the legendarium, the cases of Kullervo and especially Túrin Turambar stand out because of their similar tragic outcomes involving sibling incest followed by suicide. The contrast between the depiction of fostering in these stories is stark: The Story of Kullervo depicts a case of poor fostering involving violence and neglect, whereas The Children of Húrin describes a loving and nurturing foster environment for its hero, Túrin. Both tales …

University Class Open Ground Station (Uniclogs), Glenn Lebrasseur, Andrew Greenberg, Anna Meneely, Kaleb Rice, Aiden Tuan

Small Satellite Conference

Most educational CubeSat projects have the same dilemma: not enough money to buy a commercially available ground station, and not enough internal experience and capabilities to build a reliable and inexpensive ground station in-house. We present a middle road to the commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) vs DIY conundrum for ground stations: the University Class Open Ground Station (UniCIOGS). UniCIOGS is an open-source satellite communications ground station meant to be customized and built by university and other small satellite operators around the world. UniCIOGS is primarily designed for amateur radio satellites; amateur licensing allows for groups to share transmit-capable stations. Even international …

The Niggling Bandersnatch: Tolkien’S Revisionist Tendencies And The Canon Of Middle-Earth, Janet Brennan Croft, David Bratman, John Rosegrant

Mythcon

C.S. Lewis famously said of Tolkien in a 1959 letter that “you might as well try to influence a bandersnatch.” He continued by noting that Tolkien had “only two reactions to criticism: either he begins the whole work over again from the beginning or else takes no notice at all.” It’s pretty obvious he had a similar reaction to his own self-criticism – to noticing a loose end, or something that didn’t fit a changed cosmological theory, or a new addition to the legendarium that required a revision to the back-story. His reaction would be to niggle away at a …

Development And Testing Methods Of The Attitude Determination And Control System For The Astronomical 6u Cubesat Vertecs, Jose Rodrigo Cordova-Alarcon, Akihiro Ikeda, Wenceslao Benjarano-Torres, Kei Sano, Takao Nakagawa, Hayato Tanaka, Satoshi Ikari, Ichiro Jikuya, Keiichi Hirako, Yoichi Yatsu

Small Satellite Conference

VERTECS (Visible Extragalactic background RadiaTion Exploration by CubeSat) is a 6U CubeSat conceived to elucidate the star-formation history along the evolution of the universe by conducting several observations of the visible extragalactic background light (EBL) using a 3U size telescope mounted on the CubeSat. The observation strategy is done by capturing four images of the extragalactic background with a 60-second exposure time, shifting the observed field four times by 3° increments to cover a 6°x6° field of view, and stacking the acquired images afterward to perform photometry in the four bands in the ground. The satellite is designed to operate …

Mission Architecture For The Green Propulsion Dual Mode Mission, Kevin Tong, Samuel Wood, Mohit Singh, Conner Awald, Rithvik Nagarajan, Briana Paul, Dev Gujarathi, E. Glenn Lightsey, Nehemiah J. Williams, Christopher G. Burnside, Beau C. Simpson

Small Satellite Conference

Current spacecraft propulsion technologies are broadly divided into chemical and electric propulsion modes, each of which has unique advantages. It is common for both systems to have a place in interplanetary spacecraft, but the size, weight, and power required to carry two separate propulsion systems is extremely limiting for small spacecraft such as CubeSats. The upcoming NASA STMD-funded Green Propulsion Dual Mode (GPDM) mission will demonstrate on-orbit a novel dual-mode propulsion system known as the GPDM Propulsion System that uses the AF-M315E/ASCENT green monopropellant to feed both a chemical 100 mN monopropellant thruster and four electrospray thrusters. GPDM will fly …

Aerodynamic Satellite Attitude Control In Very Low Earth Orbit, Cheng Chang, Robert Breidenthal, Bo-Chuan Lin, Ya-Xun Yang

Small Satellite Conference

Simulation of a 3U-sized standard platform with four control panels attached to the rear part of the satellite at an altitude of 300 km was performed in Simulink to verify the feasibility of the aerodynamic control. The entire controller is composed of three loops: one outer loop and two inner loops. The outer loop is based on the robust and tested quaternion error feedback regulator to provide the target torque input for the two inner loops. The inner loops are responsible for actuating the control panels, using the square-root-based PI controller and a dedicated designed Panel Selecting Method (PSM) to …

The Theoretical Simulation Analysis Of Vibrations In Small Satellites: A Material Study, Emilia Reber, Brian Williams, Mason Richter, Jackson Bradford, Sydney Whilden, Deepak R. Mishra

Small Satellite Conference

Accounting for vibrations is a critical component in the design of a small satellite frame. This research aims to determine the most effective material for a small satellite. This will be accomplished through finite element analysis, simulated vibration fatigue testing, and material samples of the same physical design and proportion.

Four materials have been determined for testing, the first two of which are 6061 Aluminum and 4130 Stainless Steel, due to their ductility and industry prominence. 2024 Aluminum was selected due to its high ductility which is higher than that of 6061 Aluminum. Finally, while Cast Iron is not as …

Scholar Guest Of Honor Address, The Mythopoeic Society

Mythcon

Speech by Scholar Guest of Honor Brian Attebery

Mythcon participants are invited (but not required!) to take part in our opening festivities Saturday morning by wearing costumes or regalia and carrying banners in our procession to the Terrace Rooms in which our Opening Ceremonies and Scholar Guest of Honor Address will be held. Those wishing to take part in the Opening Procession should meet by 8:45 am inside the main hotel lobby.

The Cosmic X-Ray Background Nanosatellite 3 (Cxbn-3): Toward An Improved Understanding Of Diffuse Emission Produced By High-Redshift Active Galactic Nuclei, Breno Mascarenhas Pontes, Brannon Jones, Thomas Pannuti, Jaden Yates, Benjamin Malphrus

Small Satellite Conference

The Cosmic X-ray Background (CXB) is the diffuse emission of hard X-rays (3-300 keV) that is observed across the whole sky. The general consensus for the sources of the CXB (particularly at higher energies) are heavily obscured active galactic nuclei (AGN) located at a moderate redshift (z ≈ 1). To explore the properties of the CXB further (such as whether flux variations are present at different angular scales), the Space Science Center (SSC) at Morehead State University (MSU) is developing CXBN-3 (Cosmic X-ray Background Nanosatellite 3), a nanosatellite designed to measure the intensity of the CXB within the energy …

Contentcube: A 1u Cubesat To Test Display Screens In Space, Joseph Esser, Jason Jagoda, Steffen Winther, Timothy Mcevoy, Tejas Vinod, Larsen Vanofferen, Dylan Cooper, Kevin Schroeder

Small Satellite Conference

ContentCube is a novel 1U CubeSat developed by inspireFly at Virginia Polytechnic and State University, in collaboration with Bronco Space at Cal Poly Pomona. The mission of ContentCube is to test the performance of the Adafruit breakout board OLED screen in orbit. This mission could pave the way for using display screens in the space environment. Such applications could include astronauts having displays on their suits that they can use to monitor critical information, or robotic systems having complex digital displays. The external display screen will be tested through a novel payload designed and tested at Virginia Tech. This payload …

Harnessing Cubesat Technology For Precision Pesticide Management In Egyptian Agriculture, Motaz El Sayed, Salem Abdou, Abdelhamid Sherif

Small Satellite Conference

This paper presents the development of an autonomous spraying robot designed to optimize agricultural practices through precise pesticide application, facilitated by the integration of real-time satellite data. The robot utilizes multispectral imaging from satellites, including NDVI and thermal data, to assess crop health and identify specific needs for intervention. The system aims to significantly reduce the volume of chemicals used in farming by targeting only the areas that require treatment, thus minimizing environmental impact while maintaining or enhancing crop yield. By employing advanced algorithms for data processing and machine operation, the robot autonomously navigates through fields, delivering pesticides in an …

Preliminary Design Of A 3d Printing System For Creating Infinitely Large Structures In Space, Stephen Timperley, Grant Stec, Daniel Miller

Small Satellite Conference

As interest in the space environment grows, the demand for larger and more capable space systems will follow. A possible solution to fill this demand is additive manufacturing in the form of 3D printing. This paper showcases a working preliminary system to 3D print large structures in space from a small satellite. This is achieved by replacing the normal Z axis control of a conventional CoreXY fused deposition modeling (FDM) 3D printer with a system to move along an infinitely extendable printed track. Having the ability to print and then move along this track creates a cycle of printing and …

A Hardware-In-The-Loop Star Tracker Testbed, Ashley Haraguchi

Small Satellite Conference

As the use of small satellites for advanced space missions continues to grow, the importance of low mass and cost three axis attitude stabilization systems is increasing as well, which means high accuracy attitude knowledge is required. Star trackers provide the most accurate attitude knowledge of any type of attitude sensor, but their high cost, size, and weight can be prohibitive to small satellite missions. Many simple star trackers have been developed using commercial-off-the-shelf camera sensors and processing hardware, but the challenge remains in testing and characterizing these devices. Common methods involve night sky tests, where the star tracker is …

Design And Development Of A Dual-Use Satellite Deployer, Qi Lim, James Helmich, Michael F. Lembeck, Dana Ruchti, Austin Bancroft, Michael Pica

Small Satellite Conference

The CubeSat standard has led to the widespread implementation of repeatable design, integration, and operations processes.¹ Following launch, the deployment of a satellite is one of the most critical aspects of any mission. Satellite deployers, also known as dispensers, are used to release satellites from on-orbit launchers and platforms. Dispensers have evolved into two competing, but not interchangeable, configurations using either rails or tabs on the CubeSat structure to guide the satellite smoothly out of the deployer. Rail deployment aligns CubeSats along a set of four rails, one in each corner of the dispenser. The satellite is then pushed …

Overuse Injury Prevention Program For High School And College Flutists, Judy Kim, Cassandra M. Nelson

Summer 2024 OTD Capstone Symposium

College and high school flutists face significant health risks, including a high prevalence of playing-related injuries and associated psychological stress and social pressures to perform despite the pain. The asymmetrical posture and specific hand and arm positions required for playing the flute increase the risk of musculoskeletal injuries due to repetitive, non-ergonomic movements. This program addresses these unique health challenges by integrating occupational therapy (OT) principles, providing comprehensive education, and injury prevention and management strategies. The program seeks to raise awareness of overuse injuries, enhance self-confidence in managing stress, and implement injury prevention techniques. Expected outcomes include a deeper understanding …

Let There Be Light, Erik Johnson

Natural Science Faculty

On May 10, Earth experienced the greatest solar storm in decades. When scientists predicted a high chance for auroras, also known as the northern lights, observers around the world traveled away from light-polluted cities to look for them.

Medical Assistants Adherence To The Jnc-8 Guidelines In A Primary Care Clinic, Mary Jacob

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Hypertension (HTN) is currently one of the most common diseases that is underdiagnosed and under-treated in the primary care setting. The identified gap in practice is that medical assistants need to gain knowledge of the current JNC-8 HTN guidelines and, therefore, do not apply the JNC-8 guidelines to patient management. This project aimed to educate medical assistants in a primary care clinic on the Joint National Committee 8 (JNC-8) guidelines to improve their HTN management knowledge over four weeks. The social cognitive theory and Kurt Lewin’s change management theory guided the project. The project adopted a quantitative, quasi-experimental design whereby …