Astra – Autonomous Satellite Technology For Resilient Applications: A Technology Demonstrator, Lauren Underwood, Fernando Figueroa, Zachary Lewton, Landon Tynes, Travis Martin, Jonathan Morris, Quentin Oswald, John Curry

Small Satellite Conference

ASTRA is an on-orbit technology demonstrator establishing a new paradigm for implementing on-board “thinking.” ASTRA is a system-level autonomy capability (including digital twins, anomaly detection, diagnostics/prognostics, and mission management) enabled by an innovative technology, NPAS - NASA Platform for Autonomous Systems. NPAS is developed by NASA Stennis Space Center (SSC) Autonomous Systems Laboratory (ASL) with support from NASA Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate (ESDMD) Advanced Exploration Systems and Mars Campaign Office. ASTRA leverages NPAS for on-board “thinking” autonomy. ASTRA also includes advanced hardware required for implementing autonomy. ASTRA Flight Software (FS) is running on commercial hardware that provides the computational …

Advancing Space Weather Research With The Next-Generation Space Weather Probes, Justin Wellington, Rowan Antonuccio, Kade Howes, Benjamin Lewis, Todd Wilson, Charles Swenson

Small Satellite Conference

Accurate characterization of ionospheric conditions is essential for improving space weather forecasting and mitigating its impacts on communication, navigation, and space-based systems. Utah State University’s Center for Space Engineering has developed the second-generation Space Weather Probes (SWP2) instrumentation suite, optimized for deployment on small satellite platforms. Building upon experience from the Scintillation Prediction Observations Research Task (SPORT) mission, SWP2 integrates advanced Langmuir probes, floating potential double probes, and an RF impedance probe onto a compact, FPGA-controlled electronics module, conforming to the standard 9×9 cm CubeSat form factor. The design provides complementary diagnostic measurements of electron density, electron temperature, electric fields, …

Chipsat Design For The Descent Mission, Matt Hurford, Bryan Peters, Joshua Umansky-Castro, Corbin Heywood, Andy Filo, Alex Burke

Small Satellite Conference

The Demonstration of Suborbital ChipSats Ejected from New Shepard Test Flight (DeSCENT) mission, conducted by Cornell’s Space Systems Design Studio (SSDS) in partnership with the Applied Physics Laboratory (APL), is a suborbital endeavor that aims to deploy 100 ChipSats from a Blue Origin New Shepard rocket when the rocket reaches 100 km above the Earth’s surface. ChipSats are a type of FemtoSat (satellite with a mass less than 100 grams) that can fit into the palm of your hand and contain all the fundamental functionality of a spacecraft. The mission’s primary objective is to refine models that predict the freefall …

Snake Spirits, Fishermen And Water Birds On Lake Victoria: A Case Study Of Cultural Conservation In The Musambwa Islands, Uganda, And Prospects For Tourism To Improve Local Livelihoods, Joel T. Heinen, Henry Batenda

Journal of Ecological Anthropology

Abstract.

Using a combination of site visits, document reviews, focus group and key informant surveys of fishermen, we explore the cultural beliefs, taboos and norms that protect Musambwa Islands, Uganda. The islands form part of a large protected wetland with nesting habitat for thousands of water birds and a large population of highly-venomous forest cobras that coexist in and around fishermen dwellings. There are strong taboos against cutting trees, allowing women on the island, and harming cobras. We present some of our ideas on how to improve the economic situation of fishermen through the promotion of nature-based and cultural tourism …

Book Review On Epistemology Of Modality And Philosophical Methodology (Edited By Anand Jayprakash Vaidya And Duško Prelević), Kumar Rajan

Comparative Philosophy

No abstract provided.

A Place For Ancient Philosophy In Axial Age Historiography, John R. Shook

Comparative Philosophy

Long-standing debates over historiographical approaches to the Axial Age have distracted the history of philosophy from its own disciplined inquiry into the breadth and depth of ancient thought beyond the Greeks. The philosopher Karl Jaspers offered a vista for seeing commonalities among ancient innovations and discerning continuities along history to modern times. That dual agenda divided Axial historiography with the question of whether axiality reflects creativities of ancient systems or have modern reflections created images of axiality. A singular chronology for humanity encourages a mode of philosophical history open to providential designs, epochal turns, spiritual evolutions, psychological leaps, or cognitive …

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 …

The Conventional Emptiness Of Human Beings: Reviewing Archer’S Theory Of Agency Through Nagarjuna’S Looking Glass, Federico Podestà

Comparative Philosophy

Margaret Archer is probably the critical realist who has most significantly affected the debate around the relationship between social structure and agency. In the volume, Being Human: The Problem of Agency, she aims to better define what is meant by the properties and causal powers of agency itself, i.e., self-consciousness and reflexivity. In this paper, this theoretical attempt is reviewed through the critical standpoint of Nagarjuna. Nagarjuna’s philosophy appears to be a particularly compelling tool for criticizing Archer’s theory. Claiming the emptiness of everything, the founder of the Buddhist Madhyamaka school provides a critical perspective for revising the distinctiveness of …

A Constructive Engagement Between Oxford Ordinary Language Philosophy And Latin American & Latine Liberatory Philosophy, Alessandro R. Moscaritolo Palacio

Comparative Philosophy

In this paper, I bring into dialogue a movement in Latin American social and political philosophy – which I have named Latin American and Latine Liberatory Philosophy – and a Western, or more precisely global North, philosophical movement sometimes called Ordinary Language Philosophy. By ‘Latin American and Latine Liberatory Philosophy’, I refer to a movement, adumbrated at the dawn of the 19^th century and developed during the 20^th century, whose guiding theme is the political, social, and cultural liberation of Latin America (and global South peoples more generally). By ‘Ordinary Language Philosophy’, on the other hand, I refer …

Reassessing The Deontological Undercurrents In Mo Zi’S Ethical Thought, Nuno Miranda

Comparative Philosophy

This article reexamines Mo Zi’s ethical philosophy, challenging the dominant interpretation of Mohism as a purely consequentialist or proto-utilitarian system. While Mo Zi’s emphasis on social utility—such as material welfare, population growth, and aversion to warfare—aligns with outcome-oriented reasoning, I argue that his invocation of the will of Heaven introduces a deontological dimension. Heaven’s will serves not merely as a heuristic for maximizing benefits but as an absolute moral standard, demanding adherence to duties like universal love and non-aggression, irrespective of immediate practical gains. Through a close reading of the Mo-Zi corpus, this study reveals a hybrid ethical framework that …

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 …

Vol 16 No 2 Information Page

Comparative Philosophy

No abstract provided.

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 …

Improving Equity In Financial Aid Policy For Students With Disabilities, Ryan S. Wells, S. Kate Farmer, Morgan D. Woroner

Journal of Student Financial Aid

Disabled college students face significant barriers to degree completion, including systemic inequities in financial aid policies. This Issue Article investigates financial aid policies that unfairly limit aid to disabled students, at times forcing them to choose between maximizing their financial aid and the recommended accommodations to which they have a legal right, such as a reduced courseload. We highlight how current policies, including Pell Grant proration, Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) requirements, and lifetime funding caps, create financial and administrative burdens that disproportionately affect disabled students. By examining federal and state-level policy responses, we identify both promising practices and persistent gaps …

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 …

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 …

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 …

Doing Business On Indian Reservations: Tribal Business Owners' Perspectives On Entrepreneurship, Terry L. Anderson, Thomas Stratmann

Indigenous Business & Public Administration

This paper reports insights from focus group discussions from Montana reservations, which provide insights and perspectives on the experiences of Native American entrepreneurs. The narratives from these discussions highlight the challenges the current regulatory context poses for entrepreneurial activities and their communities. The participants spoke of regulatory unpredictability and inefficiency, resulting in uncertainty faced by business owners and thus not impeding economic prosperity. The discussions also revealed a disconnect between tribal governments and community members, characterized by a lack of transparency and accountability. Judicial independence emerged as another significant concern. These insights from the focus groups suggest a path forward …

Unlocking Reading Success: Addressing The Literacy Crisis In The United States, Jennifer Kaczrowski-Taylor

The Interactive Journal of Global Leadership and Learning

This white paper addresses the literacy crisis in the United States. Currently, in the educational system, millions of children lack access to research-based reading instruction and, as a result, struggle to become proficient readers. Despite decades of academic and reform efforts, national reading achievement has been declining. This literacy crisis can be traced back to outdated or inconsistent instructional practices, socioeconomic background, lack of research-based instructional curricula, as well as inconsistent and ineffective implementation of these approaches. Based on recent research and national data, this white paper advocates for aligning teacher education and professional development with the Science of Reading. …

Senior Living: Filling The Gap, Katy J. Johnson

The Interactive Journal of Global Leadership and Learning

This white paper explores how colleges and universities can help address the housing crisis for Americans aged 65 and older by integrating seniors into college campuses. This approach not only helps to fill dormitories but also provides students with valuable work experience. The paper examines three key issues: the Silver Tsunami (the growing senior population), declining enrollment leading to campus housing vacancies, and the financial burden of higher education. By advocating for intergenerational living, the proposal offers an innovative solution that benefits seniors, students, and universities.

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 …

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 …

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 …

Under-Actuated Target Tracking Performance - Flight Results From The Ghgsat-D Spacecraft, Niels Roth, Benoit Larouche, Robert E. Zee, Stéphane Lokocki, Laura Bradbury, Marcela Arias

Small Satellite Conference

The GHGSat-D spacecraft, a precursor demonstration to GHGSat’s commercial constellation, was launched on June 21 2016 into a polar Sun-synchronous orbit with altitude 507 km and local time of descending node 10:30. The spacecraft successfully demonstrated GHGSat’s novel payload’s ability to measure and monitor precise greenhouse gas emissions from low Earth orbit. Such measurements were enabled by custom target tracking maneuvers allowing its imaging spectrometer to pan across ground targets of interest at prescribed rates. In July 2017 one of its three reaction wheels exhibited signs of high friction, resulting in its discontinued use. With only two functional reaction wheels …

Development Of The Optical Deep-Space Instrument For Navigation (Odin), Rebecca Inman, Riana Pecourt, Ronney Lovelace, Max Marshall, Ava Thrasher, John Christian, William Driessen

Small Satellite Conference

The Optical Deep-space Instrument for Navigation (ODIN) is a customizable, multiple camera, multiple field-of view (FOV) software and hardware sensor package. The instrument and software design are intended to make optical navigation (OpNav) methods more widely available to small satellite missions.

The ODIN flight software will have autonomous functionalities such as target determination, attitude estimation, and horizon-based position estimation, while still offering the option for manual modes to ease mission operation constraints. The flight software is built in core Flight System (cFS) and is designed to be agnostic to camera selection and placement.

Currently, ODIN is in its second year …

Generation And Detection Of Structured Radio Waves In Small Satellites, Tsukasa Funane, Yosuke Tanabe, Hisatoshi Kimura, Makoto Ito, Koichi Watanabe

Small Satellite Conference

Background

• Small SAR (synthetic aperture radar) satellite constellations are developing rapidly.
• The theoretical richness of OAM is expected to be used for radar imaging.
• OAM radar uses spiral wavefronts by applying phase differences to spatially arranged antenna elements.

Purpose

• Develop and experimentally validate a method for generating, transmitting,and detecting structured radio waves—particularly vortex modes carrying orbital angular momentum

Breaking The Boundaries Of Aerospace Simulations, Hil And Digital Twins, Asaf Lewin

Small Satellite Conference

Poster presented during the 2025 SmallSat Conference.

Orbital Motion Coordination Using Bio-Inspired Optical Sensing And Feedback, Arif Billah, Imraab A. Faruque

Small Satellite Conference

Summary: Multi-satellite coordinated missions can improve upon larger solitary satellite missions through greater flexibility, efficiency, scalability and redundancy. This study considers a more diverse approach to in-orbit motion coordination that reduce dependence on communication links and absolute position references. The non-linear relative equations of motion applied to a chief satellite and a deputy target in the LEO orbit are considered and a feedback control system to facilitate multi-satellite relative motion coordination is designed. The feedback controller relies on on-board optical sensor measuring optic flow signal, similar to the bio-inspired feedback-controlled systems used for various aerial operations. Performance in orbit is …