Systems Engineering and Multidisciplinary Design Optimization Commons^™

Model-Based Systems Engineering Test Case Development And Traceability For Cubesats, Spoorti Nanjamma, Abigail Butcher

Discovery Day - Daytona Beach

Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) using CATIA Magic Systems of Systems Architect (formerly known as CAMEO) is applied to develop a structured and traceable approach to test case modeling for CubeSat missions. The effort focuses on supporting unit-, subsystem-, and system-level testing by explicitly linking system requirements to corresponding test cases within the model, ensuring clear traceability across all verification levels. Each test case is organized within a dedicated package that includes a Block Definition Diagram (BDD) and Internal Block Diagram (IBD) to represent the complete test configuration, capturing all relevant components, subsystem boundaries, and interface connections involved in the test …

Evatoolpad (Eva Passive Attachment Device), Parth Thakar, Olivia Tamer, Amaris Paranjattu, Vaidehi Saini, Sebastian Guerrero, Nicolai Diaz, Abirami Srenivasan

Discovery Day - Daytona Beach

The Micro-Nauts, developed under NASA’s Micro-G NExT challenge, strive to positively impact lunar and deep space missions through extravehicular activities (EVA). As Aerospace Engineering students, they have the common passion of addressing real, current space exploration needs and gaining relevant engineering experience. The passive capture tool dock provides the durability, reliability, and ease that are necessary for all EVAs that will take place in NASA’s upcoming Artemis missions. When a human is in a non-traditional environment performing highly important tasks, the last thing they want to do is struggle with a simple component that keeps their tools attached to them. …

Orbital Servicing Calibration And Repair (O.S.C.A.R.), Samantha Rogers, Chloe Arnold, Ava Laudadio

Discovery Day - Daytona Beach

Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites operate in an environment that exposes them to cumulative radiation effects, micrometeoroids, and orbital debris, and limited opportunities for post-launch intervention. These factors can degrade satellite performance over time, leading to anomalies that may cause data corruption, mission failure, or require human intervention for repair. While previous on-orbit servicing efforts have demonstrated repair and life-extension capabilities, most have focused on Geosynchronous satellites or controlled test environments, leaving a gap in servicing concepts tailored specifically to LEO satellites.The O.S.C.A.R. (Orbital Servicing, Calibration, and Repair) project investigates the design of a robotic servicing system for inspecting, calibrating, …

Evaluation Of Orbit And Mission Design Parameters Considered In Real Space Missions, Enrique Alejandro Amaya Villegas

Discovery Day - Daytona Beach

Orbit and mission design constitute a fundamental spacecraft subsystem, as the selected orbital regime and mission profile strongly influence power availability, communications geometry, propulsion requirements, and overall mission performance. This project investigates how key quantitative and qualitative parameters guide orbit and mission design decisions in real space missions, with particular emphasis on orbital altitude and inclination, ground coverage and revisit time, mission lifetime, launch vehicle performance constraints, and propulsion budgets. The primary objective is to develop a structured understanding of how high-level scientific or commercial objectives, together with cost, risk, and operational constraints, are translated into specific orbital architectures and …

Applications Of A Swarm-Behavior Model On Existing Satellite Constellations, Naomi Lee

Discovery Day - Daytona Beach

The scope of this work explores biological swarm behavior and its application to low- and medium-sized Earth orbit satellite constellation systems. Existing constellation structures have predetermined orbits, meaning there is little adaptivity in the spacing and interactions between satellites. This allows for formation disruption by atmospheric perturbations in lower Earth orbit trajectories but can be countered with interactive controls that help with structure stability. This adaptive spacing and control can also be applied in MEO constellations in coverage and positioning optimization. In ‘mimicking’ this swarm behavior in starling murmurations, the separation, alignment, and cohesion flocking behavior of satellite groupings will …

Microgravity Operations: Passive Capture Tool Dock Development, Tyler Mastroianni, Alexander Choinski, David Smith, Matthew Perkins, Kelsey Hunsicker, Jeanelle Ferdinand

Discovery Day - Daytona Beach

The 2026 NASA Micro-g NExT Challenge 2 requests a device that simplifies the stowage of tools during EVAs. EVAs are crucial during missions, but their effectiveness is hindered because of challenging tool management. Our device, Latch Point, is designed to streamline tool stowage, allowing astronauts to secure tools more efficiently and with less physical strain. This will reduce the duration of EVAs, improving mission productivity. This is important because EVAs are expensive due to the complexity of the suits and the training and preparation required of astronauts before they can undergo these types of missions. This new device would reduce …

Feasibility Of High-Throughput Onboard Ai For Mars Rovers Under Solar Constraints, Aashman Gupta

Discovery Day - Daytona Beach

This project evaluates the feasibility of sustained onboard AI autonomy for a solar-powered Mars rover by directly linking solar energy availability to achievable compute performance. While Mars solar irradiance and edge computing performance have been studied independently, no unified framework currently couples surface power generation to autonomy throughput in an experimentally validated manner. The project will begin with a simulation of solar power generation for a 1 m² rover-mounted array across a Martian sol, accounting for seasonal variation, dust opacity, and array configuration (fixed versus sun-tracking). The resulting power profile will then be coupled to representative compute platforms running autonomy …

Experimental Design And Comparative Analysis Of Cubesat-Based Reflector Concepts For Future Solar Energy Redirection On Mars, Tatyana Vladislavova Ivanova

Discovery Day - Daytona Beach

Previous research shows that redirecting sunlight with large orbital mirrors could support warming specific regions of Mars by targeting ice deposits and releasing greenhouse gases. Although the concept has strong theoretical support, deploying and adjusting massive rigid reflectors in orbit remains a major technical challenge. This study aims to investigate the impact of using a swarm of small, adjustable CubeSats equipped with different reflector types on the effectiveness of solar energy redirection for Martian surface heating. Through comparison of multiple designs in controlled conditions, this work addresses whether smaller, flexible systems could offer a practical alternative to traditional large mirrors. …

An Energy-Aware Meta-Learning Framework For Real-Time Lunar Rover Localization Via Adaptive Algorithm Selection, Jose Demedeiros, Garrett Seyler

Discovery Day - Daytona Beach

This work proposes an energy-aware meta-learning framework that selects the single most suitable localization algorithm for a lunar rover, per scene, using only monocular imagery and orbital maps. The goal is to achieve sub-meter accuracy while minimizing onboard compute and energy consumption. We assemble a suite of seven lunar-relevant algorithms spanning relative and absolute localization, including monocular ORB-SLAM3, LuVo homography-based visual odometry, Censible cross-view matching with orbital imagery, crater-based methods (LunarNav and ShadowNav), monocular horizon navigation with a DEM, and DROID-SLAM. Relative methods provide incremental motion updates, while absolute methods deliver global pose fixes; an Extended Kalman Filter fuses these …

Optimal Integrated Cfd-Gnc Model For Drag-Based Reentry Dynamics, Sebastian Lopez

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

This research focuses on optimizing the control of a drag-maneuvering, Starship-class re-entry vehicle by closely integrating high-fidelity aerodynamic data derived from Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations, specifically using StarCCM+. The aerodynamic models, tailored to the unique geometry of a drag-maneuvering body, are seamlessly incorporated into a guidance, navigation, and control (GNC) framework. This integration enables closed-loop CFD simulations with real-time control feedback, allowing for direct analysis and optimization of vehicle stability, trajectory, and control demands throughout the re-entry process.

Building upon the work of Gaglio and Bevilacqua, this advanced CFD-GNC model introduces high-order aerodynamic effects, such as aerodynamic moments and …

System Integration And Validation Of The Cal Poly Spacecraft Attitude Dynamics Simulator Mk. Iv, Bricen S. Rigby

Master's Theses

The Cal Poly Spacecraft Attitude Dynamics Simulator (SADS) is an ongoing project that seeks to enable the simulation and validation of sensors, actuators, and control logic related to spacecraft attitude control. The SADS platform rests atop a spher- ical air-bearing device which allows for nearly frictionless rotation in all three axes. The orientation of the platform is controlled by four reaction wheels arranged in a pyramidal configuration. Over the past few years, there have been significant updates to the reaction wheel subsystem, as well as requests for a more capable central com- puter. Therefore, a new system architecture for the …

Mars Rover Wheels And Drive, Presley S. Sacavitch, Ryan W. Trevena, Dylan A. Mack, Daniel Hudak

Mechanical Engineering

Cal Poly’s Poly1Rover team, advised by Professor Rich Murray, aims to deploy four student-designed mini-Mars rovers, each equipped with a sample-tube retrieval claw, before 2030. However, the wheels of Poly1Rover’s current 6th generation rover are not ready for deployment to Mars, as they do not utilize space-grade materials, are not optimized for manufacturability, and lack sufficient spoke compliance to absorb landing and high-impact loads. This project will be developed by a team of Mechanical Engineering students at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo (Cal Poly): Daniel Hudak, Dylan Mack, Presley Sacavitch, and Ryan Trevena. Next Intent is providing funding …

Development Of A Free-Floating Space Robotic Simulator, Truman: Terrestrial Robotic Unit For Multibody Analysis And Navigation, Jackson W. Cordova

Master's Theses

This work describes the development of a 3 Degree-of-Freedom (DOF) robotic manipulator for use on a free-floating planar air-bearing vehicle. The system developed aims to serve as a foundation for future space robotics research at the California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly)’s Space Robotics Laboratory. Systems doc- umentation describes conceptual operation and architecture of the proposed system: Terrestrial Robotic Unit for Multibody Analysis and Navigation (TRUMAN). The key operation of TRUMAN is to study a self launch maneuver of a free-floating ve- hicle including 4 distinct phases: launch off a fixed rail, coast, reorientation using manipulator motion, and capture of …

Spaceotter: A Floating Spacecraft Simulator Air Bearing Vehicle For Hardware-In-The-Loop Experiments And Research, Alexander Debartolo

Master's Theses

Growing interest in nanosatellites has increased demand for accessible ground-testing methods, which have historically been expensive and restricted. Floating Spacecraft Simulators (FSS), built around Air Bearing Vehicles (ABVs), address this gap by approximating a zero-gravity, friction-minimized environment suitable for testing spacecraft control systems, robotics, and propulsion on the ground.

This thesis presents the design, realization, and initial performance characterization of the Space Optically Tracked Testbed for Experiments and Research (SpaceOTTER) ABV, developed for the Cal Poly Space Robotics Lab. SpaceOTTER is the first step toward emulating the 3 degree of freedom (3-DOF) planar dynamics of a simulated spacecraft and is …

Hamster: Hybrid-Actuated Mobile Spherical Terrain Exploration Rover, Winnie Gao

Master's Theses

The expansion of space exploration to increasingly challenging planetary environments requires mobility systems capable of extreme traversal capabilities and operational reliability. This thesis presents the design, development, and testing of a low-cost Hybrid-Actuated Mobile Spherical Terrain Exploration Rover (HAMSTER) intended for use on a planetary surface exploration mission. HAMSTER uses a pendulum-based actuation method for steering and an actuated internal shaft to propel the vehicle forward. The internal structure includes a two-tiered central case composed of the navigation control module, accelerometer, motor controller, primary DC motor, battery, voltage regulators, Raspberry Pi, pendulum servo motor, and drive shafts. Additive manufacturing through …

Artificial Intelligence In Human Spaceflight Safety-Critical Systems: A Requirements Framework For Ai-Enabled Computer-Based Control Systems, Liz Bosch

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

Currently, there is no governing standard that addresses the safe integration of AI into computer-based control systems (CBCS) in human spaceflight. The computer-based control expectations of those safety-critical systems on the International Space Station (ISS) are captured in SSP 50038, Computer-Based Control System Safety Requirements, with one caveat: the standard was not designed with AI applications in mind. SSP 50038 does not cover the probabilistic behavior, opacity, and training-data dependency of modern AI/ML systems. The objectives of this work is to develop an AI taxonomy relevant to safety characteristics (determinism, transparency, data dependency, failure predictability), systematically map AI characteristics against …

The Role Of Optical And Synthetic Aperture Radar Satellites In Military Intelligence, Khalifa Alnaqbi

Student Research Symposium (SRS)

The objective of this paper is to demonstrate that while optical and Synthetic Aperture Radar satellites are the two most powerful remote sensing tools in military intelligence, neither is sufficient on its own. This research aims to articulate their distinct operational roles and argue that their synergistic integration, together with other intelligence assets such as unmanned aerial vehicles, signals intelligence, and human intelligence, is essential for achieving comprehensive situational awareness in modern warfare. To establish this, the paper will first analyze the role of optical satellites in target identification and Synthetic Aperture Radar satellites in persistent detection and monitoring, detailing …

A Scalable Iteration Of The Horizon Simulation Framework Using Multithreading Techniques, Jason E. Beals

Master's Theses

The Horizon Simulation Framework (HSF) occupies a unique space in the modern aerospace modeling landscape, enabling flexible, modular modeling of mission-level agent behavior through an object-oriented, hierarchical design. HSF's hallmark breadth-first search scheduling algorithm explores a "multiverse" of possible mission execution pathways, enabling exhaustive evaluation of schedule combinations against user-defined heuristics.

As aerospace systems become increasingly complex, HSF faces critical challenges in establishing verifiable, deterministic behavior. The framework's core scheduling algorithm had not undergone systematic validation, leaving questions about temporal consistency, state management correctness, and reproducibility across different program executions. Furthermore, the exponential growth of schedule combinations creates computational bottlenecks …

Students For The Exploration And Development Of Space (Seds) Air Brake Subsystem: High-Altitude Autonomous Apogee Modulator System For High-Powered Rockets (Haamshr), Camden J. Maclean, Matthew Wharton, Nick Revis, Colin Guido

Honors Theses and Capstones

The objective of this project was to research, design, fabricate, and analyze an autonomous apogee modulation air brake system for the University of New Hampshire (UNH) Students for Exploration and Development of Space (SEDS) high-powered rocket as competitors in the Friends of Amateur Rocketry – Oxidizers Uninhibited Tournament (FAR-OUT) competition.

This air brake system would be developed with considerations for full autonomy, structural reliability, and repeatable deployment. The design would also be easily integrated into the existing high-powered rocket airframe and mechanically simple to increase reliability and practical functionality. The final design would be evaluated using finite element analysis simulation …

Lunar Regolith Densometer, Liam Lee, Vincent Innocenzi

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Testing of extraterrestrial rovers is a growing concern as lunar exploration as an industry is becoming increasingly commercialized. Currently, the way rover testing is conducted is on a soil regolith which is already available. The structure of the soil, however, is harmful to humans and requires a full bunny suit and respirator to be worn during the conduction of the experiment. This limitation, along with the expensive price tag, prevents college university students and companies from establishing a rover test area in labs. The goal of the overall project is to create a safer testing environment by mimicking the soil-to-tire …

Automated Soil Resetting System For Extraterrestrial Regolith Simulation, Parker W. Brennan, Anthony C. Daniels

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This project focuses on designing an automated soil resetting system for extraterrestrial regolith simulation. The system will prepare a regolith simulant testbed to a desired, repeatable density, enabling reliable wheel–terrain testing for planetary rover research. Manual soil preparation currently exposes testers to hazardous particulates and produces inconsistent results.

The proposed system will integrate mechanical and control elements to reset the soil bed safely and efficiently. A combination of raking and vibrational methods will be explored, with feedback sensors and automation to achieve target density control. The research will proceed through literature review, benchtop experimentation, prototype design, and full-scale testing over …

Modeling And Testing Chain Trencher Excavator And Cone Penetrometer Robotic Prospecting Systems For Lunar In-Situ Resource Utilization, Marcello C. Guadagno

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

The Artemis Missions aim to establish a sustained human presence on the Moon, requiring In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) of water-ice deposits in permanently shadowed regions. Two critical capabilities must be developed to enable ISRU at scale: prospecting instruments that can characterize the spatial distribution and geotechnical properties of icy regolith in situ, and excavation systems that can extract hardened icy regolith efficiently. This dissertation addresses both needs through the development and testing of a Percussive Heated Cone Penetrometer (PHCP) for geotechnical prospecting and a chain trencher excavator for icy regolith mining.

The PHCP was developed across eight design iterations and …

Orbital Maneuvers And Interplanetary Trajectory Design Via Reinforcement Learning, Roberto Cuéllar Rangel

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

This dissertation investigates the application of reinforcement learning (RL) to the design and optimization of low-thrust spacecraft trajectories, with an emphasis on autonomy, adaptability, and robustness in the presence of system uncertainties and unmodeled perturbations. Classical approaches to low-thrust trajectory design are predominantly grounded in optimal control theory, which relies on the availability of precise dynamical models and often requires problem-specific reformulation and solver tuning. While optimal control methods offer high accuracy under deterministic conditions, their sensitivity to stochastic disturbances and computational limitations in highly nonlinear or uncertain environments pose significant challenges for future autonomous space missions.

To address these …

Towards Visual Inertial Navigation With Fixed Tetrahedral Targets, Joao Leonardo Silva Cotta

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation presents a robust method for 6DoF position estimation under impaired visual conditions utilizing a minimum 4-point Perspective-n-Point (P4P) solver designed for tetrahedral targets. Using SO(3) × R 3 instead of SE(3), the method uses a Lie group-based formulation to discriminate between rotation and translation, thereby enabling computationally efficient, resource-conscious op- optimization while preserving correct geometric behavior. Designed using the contemporary C++17 library ShomerTarget, the solver is analytically formulated and assessed under pragmatic robotic conditions. Particularly in low-light and high-dynamic environments, experiments on embedded systems, UAVs, and NASA’s Astrobee show that the proposed solver attains enhanced accuracy compared to …

Theory And Algorithms To Learn, Propagate, And Exploit Uncertainty For Stochastic Optimal Control Of Dynamical Systems, Vignesh Sivaramakrishnan

Electrical and Computer Engineering ETDs

Non-Gaussian uncertainty frequently arises in learning and control problems involving stochastic dynamical systems, particularly in autonomous vehicles, UAVs, satellites, and robotics. In this dissertation, we propose a new framework that leverages characteristic functions that provides a frequency-domain representation of random variables. The dissertation is structured into three key areas. First, we address model-based stochastic optimal control for linear systems with non-Gaussian noise, demonstrating that characteristic functions can be used to enforce chance constraints and control systems toward desired distributions. Second, we explore data-driven stochastic control, utilizing empirical characteristic functions to handle systems with unknown disturbances. In addition, we derive several …

Ultrashort Pulsed Laser Treatment Is Effective At Sterilizing Metal Surfaces For Planetary Protection, Kaleb Mcquillan

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

To prevent forward contamination from microbes aboard spacecraft intended for exploration of solar system bodies there is a need for effective sterilization methods. However, current techniques are both time-consuming and expensive. For example, dry heat sterilization requires removal from the assembly site and several days of treatment. Furthermore, some components such as optics and electronics are not compatible with current sterilization techniques. In this thesis, a novel femtosecond laser surface processing technique for the rapid sterilization of spacecraft hardware is reported. Femtosecond lasers produce extremely high photon fluxes (10²⁹ photons/s*cm², ~0.03 J/cm²) in extremely short …

Caelus: Cubesat Array For The Exploration Of The Uranus System, Dylan George Heidenrich Barnes

Theses and Dissertations

Following recommendations from the 2023-2032 Planetary Science and Astrobiology Decadal Survey, we propose a novel Pre-Phase A level Uranus exploration mission concept that is centered on using swarms of small spacecraft to observe the Uranus system. This mission could act as a supplement to the Flagship Uranus Orbiter and Probe mission detailed in said Decadal Survey. We propose launching a 4,500 kg spacecraft on an Earth-Jupiter-Uranus gravity assist transfer trajectory with a transfer time of six years, launching in 2033 and arriving at Uranus in 2039. This shorter transfer time and accelerated development timeline would allow for an earlier arrival …

Martian Atmospheric Rover Simulation (M.A.R.S.), Matt Berard, Shelby Beddard, Alexander Brunette, Emma Conti, Collin Duke, Delaney Novak, Keelin Weaver

Aerospace, Physics, and Space Science Student Publications

While rovers have been used by various agencies to explore Mars, their travel is limited by terrain obstacles, which may prevent mission completion. Creating a vehicle equipped with both driving and flight capabilities would allow greater range of motion on extraterrestrial planets. Integrating the technology for both transportation modes into one rover allows for efficiency and advancements in technological and planetary research.

Statistical Reliability Estimation Of Space Launch Vehicles, Brooke N. Wagenblast

Theses and Dissertations

Space launch vehicle reliability is imperative to understand since launch vehicles are crucial in getting payloads into space for a hopefully successful mission. This thesis examines the reliability of commercial, civil, and military space launch vehicles through trend analysis and a variety of statistical methods. Data sets obtained from the Seradata database are analyzed for trends by looking at data subsets including launch date, launch country, final mission orbit, section (commercial, civil or military), launch vehicle family and failed subsystem. First-level Bayesian analysis and mean success rates are performed, primarily split up by launch vehicle family and total launches, and …

Preliminary Architecture Assessment Of Lunar Surface Sensors For Cislunar Ssa, Clint J. Spesard

Theses and Dissertations

The exploration of the lunar and cislunar realm is becoming increasingly active as several entities, private and public, foreign and domestic, set their sights beyond traditional Earth-centered space operations. Along with this renewed activity is a growing need for comprehensive Space Situational Awareness (SSA) and Space Traffic Management (STM) in the inherently chaotic cislunar system. This thesis seeks to embolden the study of cislunar SSA by considering the lunar-surface as a platform from which to conduct optical SSA. In this thesis, a lunar-based SSA system is heuristically optimized via a genetic algorithm through three separate implementations. All surface locations considered …