Digital Commons Network^™

Utilizing Deep Reinforcement Learning To Effect Autonomous Orbit Tranfers And Intercepts On-Orbit Via Edge Compute, Gabriel Sutherland

Small Satellite Conference

The goal of this project was to create a system capable of autonomous operation with minimal telemetry requirements, while operating within the limits of on-orbit compute and power reserves. Previous work has centered around the use of GPUs to train Deep Reinforcement Learning (DRL) agents for the purpose of autonomous space debris remediation. In the past, a DRL agent was fed orbital tracking data for both debris and active spacecraft to effect target intercepts. However, this approach proved problematic due to large network sizes and expensive computational and training costs. An updated approach utilized Nvidia GPUs to train a Double-Q …

Wire Driven Mechanisms For Deployable Components For Optical Payloads, Mark Honeth, Akash Yalagach, Guglielmo Aglietti

Small Satellite Conference

Large empty volumes in optical payloads like telescopes and baffles take up significant, potentially useful space to package within a launcher volume, and can limit the minimum size of a spacecraft, having major implications on launch options and costs. Volume can be saved by using telescopic structures which can be deployed in-orbit. In previous work a light-weight wire-driven telescope was developed, which employed a constant torque spring motor with a damper to achieve a controlled deployment. This work focusses on the application of a similar deployment scheme to an optical baffle and the further development of the driving, tension-balancing and …

Two-Layer Pop-Up Origami Deployable Membrance Reflectarray Antenna Stowed In 1u Cubesat, Takashi Tomura, Hiraku Sakamoto, Yuki Takeda, Gen Nakayama, Toranosuke Yanagi, Motoki Moritani, Shuhei Koike, Yuki Takeda, Shinya Tamura, Kazuki Nagai, Sora Kanamaru

Small Satellite Conference

The present paper shows the innovative deployable reflectarray antenna concept that enables to stow a 1m-by-1m square antenna into 1U CubeSat volume. The antenna is composed of two-layer membranes to obtain an air gap. A one-layer deployable membrane structure was demonstrated by the 3U CubeSat OrigamiSat-1 in 2019. The authors are currently developing two technologies to realize the reflectarray antenna. First, the deployable two-layer membrane structure is to be achieved by using pop-up picture book’s mechanism. Second, reflection elements for the reflectarray antenna that do not cross folding lines are proposed to avoid gain degradation.

Thermal Analysis And Design For Visors Cubesat Formation, Hasnain Daudi, Rishikesh Gadre, Erik Zabalegui Lopez, Eddie Kon, Evgeniia Vorozhbit, Petr Kazarin, Alina Alexeenko

Small Satellite Conference

VISORS (Virtual Super-resolution Optics with Reconfigurable Swarms) is a space physics mission for solar corona investigation that will help observe and study the heat release regions. The pair of two formation flying CubeSats containing the observatory and detector will capture the extreme ultraviolet features on the Sun with an unprecedented resolution of 0.2 arcseconds. The strict six-month mission challenges include relative orbit requirements during science observations with several advanced technologies for precise formation flying. For a successful mission, one needs to make sure all the components of the CubeSats' payload meet the thermal requirements. This work performs the thermal analysis …

Utilizing Additive Manufacturing Of Semi-Crystalline Thermoplastics And Topology Optimized Generative Designs For Complex Small Satellite Bus Geometries, William Hunter Bradford, Aidan Delliponti, Ryan Formel

Small Satellite Conference

Small satellite buses have traditionally been manufactured through subtractive means and ultimately limiting capability in feature, form, and an inability to alter the volumetric density of the material. However, emergent additive manufacturing methods that utilize Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) integrated with soluble support material allow us to print synthetic thermoplastics, such as Polyetheretherketone (PEEK). Consequently, the number of structural parts and hardware components is reduced, along with the cost. Structural strength and dimensional stability of PEEK are comparable to traditional aluminum alloys in the construction of most satellite components. Additive manufacturing further allows the implementation of topology optimization algorithms to …

Developing Machine Learning Models For Space Based Edge Ai Platforms, James Murphy, John E. Ward, Brian Mac Namee

Small Satellite Conference

On September 3rd 2020, one of the first small satellites equipped with Edge AI hardware was launched. The inclusion of a UB0100 board on PhiSat-1 enabled the use of deep neural networks to provide real-time image analysis on-board an Earth Observation satellite. The primary benefit of this was a 90% reduction in downlink data as the system only transmitted non-cloudy, and thus usable, data. PhiSat-1 and missions like it have started the revolution of satellite-based machine learning, leading ESA and other space agencies to further explore the in-situ deployment of machine-learning models. Other applications that can benefit from on-board space-based …

Methodology For Correlating Historical Degradation Data To Radiation-Induced Degradation System Effects In Small Satellites, Richard H. Nederlander, Arthur F. Witulski, Robert A. Reed, Enxia Zhang, Ronald D. Schrimpf, Brian D. Sierawski, Gabor Karsai, Nag Mahadevan, Keivan G. Stassun, Kaitlyn L. Ryder, Rebekah A. Austin, Michael J. Campola, Ray L. Ladbury

Small Satellite Conference

When constructing a system-level fault tree to demonstrate device-to-system level radiation degradation, reliability engineers need relevant, device-level failure probabilities to incorporate into reliability models. Deriving probabilities from testing can be expensive and time-consuming, especially if the system is complex. This methodology offers an alternative means of deriving device-level failure probabilities. It uses Bayesian analysis to establish links between historical radiation datasets and failure probabilities. A demonstration system for this methodology is provided, which is a TID response of a linear voltage regulator at 100 krad(S_iO₂). Data fed into the Bayesian model is derived from literature on …

Evaluating Network Performance Of Containerized Test Framework For Distributed Space Systems, Walter Vaughan, Alan George, Brian Kempa, Daniel Cellucci, Nicholas Cramer

Small Satellite Conference

Distributed space systems are a mission architecture consisting of multiple spacecraft as a cohesive system which provide multipoint sampling, increased mission coverage, or improved sample resolution, while reducing mission risk through redundancy. To fully realize the potential of these systems, eventually scaling to hundreds or thousands of spacecraft, distributed space systems need to be operated as a single entity, which will enable a variety of novel scientific space missions. The Distributed Spacecraft Autonomy (DSA) project is a software project which aims to mature the technology needed for those systems, namely autonomous decision-making and swarm networking. The DSA project leverages a …

The Maker's Cubesat: Increasing Student-Lab Capabilities In The Design, Integration & Test Of The Alpha Cubesat, Joshua Umansky-Castro, Yaw Tung Tan, Eleanor Glenn, Lauren Greenhill, Jenny Wen, Mason Peck, Andrew Filo, Alex Burke

Small Satellite Conference

Alpha is a 1U CubeSat developed at Cornell University that deploys a ChipSat-equipped free-flying light sail into LEO. While the payload is rather unique, the spacecraft that deploys it is designed to be adaptable and scalable to future student-led missions. Technology demonstrations include a 3D-printed chassis, entirely commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) electronics, an Iridium modem that bypasses the need for ground-station hardware, and magnetorquer-only spin-stabilization and pointing. This paper details the driving factors behind Alpha’s novel architecture with a focus on the affordable methods developed for design verification and optimization. Drawing inspiration from the maker community, the lab acquired a suite …

An Evaluation Of Potential Compute Platforms For Picosatellites, Ofir Cohen, Sivan Toledo

Small Satellite Conference

What compute platform should picosatellites use? CubeSats, classified as nanosatellites, are transitioning from microcontrollers that cannot run modern operating systems and modern programming environments to Linux-capable compute platforms. As electronics continue to shrink, picosatellite missions are likely to become more common, perhaps using the PocketQube standard. This paper characterizes the requirements that compute platforms for picosatellites should satisfy and analyzes in detail 4 potential platforms. We show that suitable hardware does exist, but that it is not yet supported well enough to allow small teams to use it in satellites or other specialized sensor nodes.

Cubesat Radiation Hardness Assurance Beyond Total Dose: Evaluating Single Event Effects, Braden Oh, Celvi Lisy, Gia-Uyen Tran, Whitney Lohmeyer, Michael Campola, Scott Palo

Small Satellite Conference

Radiation poses known and serious risks to smallsat survivability and mission duration, with effects falling into two categories: long-term total ionizing dose (TID) and instantaneous single event effects (SEE). Although literature exists on the topic of addressing TID in smallsats, few resources exist for addressing SEEs. Many varieties of SEEs exist, such as bit upsets and latch ups, which can occur in any electronic component containing active semiconductors (such as transistors). SEE consequences range from benign to destructive, so mission reliability can be enhanced by implementing fault protection strategies based on predicted SEE rates. Unfortunately, SEE rates are most reliably …

Design Of 6u Nanosatellites In Formation Flying For The Laser Crosslink Mission, Geuk-Nam Kim, Sang-Young Park, Han-Gyeol Ryu, Young-Eon Kim, Suyong Choi, Joohee Lee, Sungmoon Lee, Seuggwon Jeon, Sehyun Seong

Small Satellite Conference

With a recent growth in the volume of spaceborne data, free space optical (FSO) or laser communication systems are attracting attention, as they can enable super-high data rates faster than 1 Gbps. The Very high-speed Inter-satellite link Systems using Infrared Optical terminal and Nanosatellite (VISION) is a technical demonstration mission to establish and validate laser crosslink systems using two 6U nanosatellites in formation flying. The final goal is to achieve a Gbps-level data rate at a distance of thousands of kilometers. To establish space-to-space laser communication, the payload optical axes of each satellite should be precisely aligned during the crosslink. …

Satellite For Estimating Aquatic Salinity And Temperature (Seasalt) A Payload And Instrumentation Overview, Shreeyam Kacker, Mary Dahl, Albert Thieu, Cadence Payne, Kerri Cahoy, Paul Fucile, Viviane Menezes, Sean Mccarthy

Small Satellite Conference

The Satellite for Estimating Aquatic Salinity and Temperature, or SEASALT, is a 6U CubeSat designed to acquire coastal images to measure Sea Surface Temperature (SST) and to develop and utilize an algorithm to estimate Sea Surface Salinity (SSS). SSS can be retrieved in coastal zones by utilizing atmospherically corrected optical images to retrieve remote sensing reflectance (Rrs). Rrs and SSS can then be empirically related through algorithms specific to different aquatic bodies. Current satellite instruments used for SSS calculations, such as MODIS and VIIRS, have limited revisit times and low spatial resolutions that make it challenging to implement SSS retrieval …

A Low-Cost Attitude Determination And Control System And Hardware-In-The-Loop Testbed For Cubesats, Benjamin Jensen, Zachary Manchester

Small Satellite Conference

The attitude determination and control system (ADCS) for a satellite is responsible for multiple key roles in a satellite’s mission, including detumbling the satellite after deployment, pointing payload sensors, and orienting antennas and solar panels for effective communication and power generation. Designing an effective ADCS is crucial to a mission’s success; however, current methods often rely on actuators and sensors that are bulky and expensive, such as reaction wheels and star trackers. While these systems can provide high accuracy, they often cannot be used on CubeSats due to volume, weight, and cost restrictions.

This work builds upon PyCubed, a radiation-tolerant …

Lunarwsn Node - A Wireless Sensor Network Node Designed For In-Situ Lunar Water Ice Detection, Fangzheng Liu, Ariel Ekblaw, Joseph Paradiso

Small Satellite Conference

In this paper, we present a fully functional cubic sensor node prototype designed to be ballistically deployed from a rover or lander to regions of interest that might be unsafe or impractical for rovers or landers to reach. Unlike helicopters or drones, this system can be deployed in airless environments. Crucially, the nodes are equipped with wireless ranging and wireless communications capabilities, such that each node can be localized by leveraging wireless ranging with triangulation, and a cluster of deployed nodes form an expandable WSN (Wireless Sensor Network), that we term LunarWSN. The hardware redundancy of the network can reduce …

Via-Sees: Variability In Atmosphere From Solar Energetic Electrons, Matthew B. Leonard, Katlynn Vicuña, Haile T. Brown, Sean P. Moroney, Andrew X. Vu, Yanan Zeng, Kenny H. Son, Nalu Clemons, Stephan Devis

Small Satellite Conference

Variability In Atmosphere from Solar Energetic Electron Study (VIA-SEES) is a hybrid science mission and technology development campaign from the Earth and Planetary Exploration Technologies (EPET) program at the University of Hawai’i. It is oriented around establishing a direct correlation between Solar Radiation Events (SREs) and Variability in Atmospheric gases, specifically Nitric and Nitrous Oxide, as well as Ozone. The mission is intended to fly on a 3U CubeSat and will collect a data set which is multimodal. To achieve robust performance, a variety of techniques are employed to make the science data set easier to interpret by an analyst. …

Co-Operating Systems: A Technical Overview Of Multiple Onboard Operating Systems, Cameron Bonesteel, Evan Tichenor, Eric Miller, Andres Rodriguez

Small Satellite Conference

The Multiview Onboard Computational Imager (MOCI) built by the University of Georgia’s Small Satellite Research Lab (SSRL) will be one of the first small satellites to include a small form factor graphics processing unit (GPU), the NVIDIA TX2i, in its design and therefore includes three onboard computers that will need to coordinate and interchange data to successfully complete the mission. The Onboard Computer (OBC), standard for most satellite systems, will coordinate most system controls. The GPU serves as the onboard payload manager and bulk data processor and coordinates with the attitude determination and control system (ADCS) to collect all necessary …

New Results And Lessons Learned From The Move-Ii And Move-Iib Cubesats, Lucien Volk, Rosalinde Borrek, Nicolas Zischka, Johannes Koch, Isha Sharma, Matteo Nardini, Linda Holl, Simon Gruber, Florian Schummer, Jonis Kiesbye, David Messmann, Martin Lülf

Small Satellite Conference

This paper covers the operations and lessons learned for the MOVE-II and MOVE-IIb satellites. Both are 1U CubeSats, with their purpose being hands-on education for students of all technical fields related to aerospace. The hardware of the spacecraft consists of a commercial on-board computer and an electrical power system, while all other systems, including the software, were designed by the student team. The MOVE-II CubeSat was successfully launched on December 3rd, 2018 and remains active in orbit to this day with almost daily commanding. The operations were full of surprises that pre-launch simulations did not foresee. With on-orbit data, we …

Ut Prosat-1: A Repeatable Passive Deployer Mechanism For Testing Carbon Fiber Tape Spring Booms, Robert Engebretson, Minzhen Du, Deven Mhadgut, Tyler Rhodes, Anthony Spinetta, Sheyda Davaria, Derick Whited, Jonathan Black

Small Satellite Conference

This paper presents the design, production, and testing of a mechanism to passively deploy a bistable coiled tape spring in a controlled, reliable, and repeatable manner on a SmallSat. The design has the tape spring wrapped around a spool that can be connected and disconnected from a motor to allow passive deployment through its stored elastic energy along with motorized retraction. The design went through several iterations before a workable prototype made of 3D-printed ABS and resin was developed. The prototype utilized a threaded clutch mechanism to transfer rotational motion from a servo to linear motion that allows two gears …

University Of Hawaii's Spaceflight-Ready, Low-Cost, Open-Source, Educational Artemis Cubesat Kit, Aksel Sloan, Kelly Ngo, Chris Amendola, Luke Clements, Evan Takushi, Amber Imai-Hong, Frances Zhu

Small Satellite Conference

The Artemis CubeSat Kit is a spaceflight-ready, low-cost, educational 1U CubeSat kit, which acts as a foundation enabler in aerospace engineering education and commercializing small satellites. The hardware kit accompanies a standalone "Spacecraft Mission Design" curriculum in the public domain, which includes a self-guided course outline, textbook, and digital lab modules. Funded by NASA's Artemis Student Challenge Program, the Kit is developed and maintained by students attending the University of Hawaii at Manoa and supervised by the Hawaii Space Flight Laboratory (HSFL). The purpose of the Artemis CubeSat Kit and accompanying curriculum is to provide educational accessibility for university-level students …

Identifying And Overcoming Challenges In High School Cubesat Programs, Lucas Ribeiro, Zichang Wang, Khoi Dinh, Nicolas Makovnik, Aarush Sivanesan, Kareem Jaber, Nikhil Kalidasu

Small Satellite Conference

This paper analyzes the various problems high school CubeSat organizations face, as well as their potential solutions. We conducted a case study of various high school CubeSat organizations from around the United States, interviewing them about their mission goals, organizational structure, funding sources, and other relevant information. We found that the three most common significant problems faced by these CubeSat teams were a lack of student training, turnover, and time commitment constraints. By comparison, a lack of funding and access to mentors were not expressed as the most significant problems for any of the groups. Teams shared their solution to …

Library Usage Statistics (2018-2020): A Prerequisite For Evaluating Information Service Delivery In Nyong Essien Library, University Of Uyo, Nigeria, Daniel Aniekan Aloysius, Eno Richard Torosco

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

This study examined library usage statistics (2018-2020): a prerequisite for evaluating information service delivery in Nyong Essien library, University of Uyo, Nigeria. Four research questions were raised to guide the study. Historical research design was employed. Record sheets which comprised Head Counts and number of consulted information sources in serials, reference and e-resource from 2018-2020 academic sessions were used by the researchers. All records were purposively sampled. The instrument for data collection was records of users in the Readers and E-resources. The records were face validated by the researchers. Frequency distribution and histogram were used to analyzed the research questions. …

Statistical Analysis Of Lessons Learned From University Satellite Projects In Japan, Yoshihiro Tsuruda, Masahiro Furumoto, Kikuko Miyata, Mengu Cho, Toshinori Kuwahara, Yukihito Kitazawa

Small Satellite Conference

University Space Engineering Consortium (UNISEC) is a non-profitable organization established in 2003 with the purpose of supporting the “ realization of practical space engineering activities, ” and providing support to universities and research institutions in Japan. UNISEC has accumulated practical experiences and achievements from more than 80 micro- and nano-satellite projects of the corporate partners, which also includes the two world-first-CubeSats launched in 2003. Following the recent drastic increase of academic and commercial space development and utilization activities all over the world, UNISEC has recently conducted a survey on the lessons learned of safety and mission assurance of these satellites …

Program Management For Sustainable University Cubesat Programs Based On The Experience Of Five Generations Of Cubesat Projects, Birds Program, Mengu Cho, Mariko Teramoto, Takashi Yamauchi, George Maeda, Sangkyun Kim, Hirokazu Masui

Small Satellite Conference

BIRDS program is a university CubeSat program whose primary mission is capacity building of non-space faring countries. It has been run by Kyushu Institute of Technology, Japan, where a group of foreign and Japanese students designs, builds, tests and operates CubeSats. The program started in 2015. Roughly every year since 2017, BIRDS program delivered and launched multiple CubeSats from International Space Station. In total, the program generated 17 CubeSats in five generations. The satellites have been designed in a way so that even satellite beginners can go through the satellite system life cycles from the mission definition to the operation …

Project Poke: Developing A Stem Community To Offset Learning Loss Amidst Covid Pandemic Through Aerospace Technologies Project-Based Learning In Hawaii's K-12 Classrooms, Kelly Ngo, Aksel Sloan, Christopher Amendola, Luke Clements, Amber Imai-Hong, Frances Zhu

Small Satellite Conference

Project POKE (Providing an Opportunity for the Keiki in Engineering) is a unique opportunity for middle and high school keiki (‘children’ in Hawaiian) in Hawaii to gain hands-on aerospace experience through interaction with a 1U CubeSat kit. The focus of the project is to build a STEM community based on collaboration and project-based learning to offset learning loss amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. The Project POKE program includes an educator course, CubeSat kit, collaborative digital space, open-ended design challenge, and symposium. Middle and high school teachers concurrently participate in the program’s educator course and meet with their students to teach the …

Small Satellite Reliability Initiative (Ssri) Knowledge Base Tool: Use Case Review And Future Functionality And Content Direction, Robbie Robertson, Craig D. Burkhard, Bruce D. Yost, Catherine C. Venturini, Michael A. Johnson

Small Satellite Conference

The Small Satellite Reliability Initiative (SSRI) Knowledge Base is a comprehensive and searchable online tool that consolidates and organizes resources, best practices, and lessons learned from previous small satellite missions sponsored by NASA, other government agencies, and academia. This free, publicly available tool is available to the entire SmallSat Community.

The SSRI Knowledge Base provides vetted, high-quality sources of information on elements that are key to successful small satellite missions. These resources include SSRI working group generated documents and presentations in addition to existing guides, publications, standards, software tools, websites, and books. The Knowledge Base is fully searchable, offers downloadable …

Global Satellite Tracking Initiative: Setting Up Ground Stations To Track Satellites Around The World, Daniel Sors Raurell, Laura González Llamazares, Sergio Tabasco Tabasco, Lucille Baudet

Small Satellite Conference

The Global Satellite Tracking Initiative aims to facilitate students and young professionals setting up ground stations to download real-time data and images from satellites flying above their regions. The objective is to empower and build capacities among space enthusiasts around the world and to promote the space sector through hands-on activities and real space technologies related to satellite communications.

The Space Generation Advisory Council (SGAC) is an NGO that consists of a global network for students and young professionals interested in the space industry, with more than 15000 members globally from more than 150 countries. SGAC supports the United Nations …

United Nations Activities For Enhancing Access To Space, Hazuki Mori, Jorge Del Rio Vera, Wenbin Zhang, Luc St-Pierre

Small Satellite Conference

The United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs manages and implements the Access to Space for All initiative which aims at broadening access to space in support of the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals through cooperation between space agencies, research institutions, academia, and industry with the United Nations. This paper focuses on the activities under the Satellite Development Track, describing the different opportunities available through the initiative in the field of small satellite development and technology, such as hands-on opportunities like “KiboCUBE” in cooperation with Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, providing a 1U CubeSat deployment opportunity from the International Space …

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Impact: A Journal of Community and Cultural Inquiry in Education

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Impact: A Journal of Community and Cultural Inquiry in Education

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