Paper Category: Earth Observation
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Enabling Software-Defined Satellites with Edge AI
Software-Defined Satellites (SDSs) enable spacecraft to evolve on orbit through software, moving beyond fixed-function architectures toward adaptable, multi-mission platforms. Software-defined radios and reconfigurable sensors and onboard compute systems provide foundational flexibility, while the integration of artificial intelligence at the edge is critical to achieving true operational autonomy. This presentation examines how AI-enabled onboard processing allows…
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Evaluation of Heterogeneous Data Fusion for Real-Time Agricultural Stress Monitoring in Small-Scale Farming Ecosystems
Smallholder agricultural systems represent a critical frontier for climate resilience strategies, yet they are often underserved by traditional remote sensing frameworks due to fragmented land parcels and low-frequency reporting. This research investigates an autonomous geospatial framework designed to synthesize multi-source satellite data, specifically Sentinel-2 MSI optical imagery and CHIRPS precipitation datasets, to detect and characterize…
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IRIDE EAGLET-II LEOP: A New Operational Paradigm for Constellation Operations
The increasing adoption of satellite constellations in LEO orbit is driving new operational challenges during the Launch and Early Orbit Phase (LEOP) that becomes increasingly critical. Thousands of satellites are sharing the Low Earth Orbit, elevating the importance of phasing strategies and collision mitigation, which are now central topics in mission design discussions. This paper…
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COTS coolers for space applications
COTS coolers for space applications H. Schot, G. de Jonge, C. Vasse Thales Cryogenics B.V. Eindhoven, The Netherlands The field-proven reliability and robustness of many mechanical cryocoolers has improved to a point where many cost-sensitive space missions are now using these commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) units for flight. In this presentation, we will present cryocooler models…
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Delivering Smallsat in a few weeks: Advancing Responsive Space Capabilities with Scalable Platforms
Responsive Space marks a fundamental shift in the way space-based services are developed, launched and operated. This evolution toward more adaptive architectures is driven by the growing need for rapid delivery, cost efficiency, and technical competitiveness in both commercial and military domains, at a pace that conflict with legacy satellite development processes, making the traditional…
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UDAN: A Compact Deployable UHF Antenna Enabling High-Gain Links for CubeSats
The miniaturization of satellite platforms has imposed severe constraints on antenna systems, particularly for UHF links requiring high gain and polarization robustness. To address these challenges, this contribution introduces UDAN, a deployable UHF antenna concept designed to significantly enhance communication capabilities of CubeSats and other small spacecraft while remaining compliant with standard launch and deployment…
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Structured Radio Wave Generation for Target State Estimation via Satellite Formations
This paper discusses next-generation radar systems utilizing structured radio waves, which allow for the integrated control of wavefront structure, polarization state, and phase. By leveraging the azimuthal information inherent in Orbital Angular Momentum (OAM) modes, structured radio wave radar mitigates image distortion issues common in conventional plane-wave Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR). Furthermore, it enables advanced…
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Multi-sensor architectures for thermal imaging missions
Among the innovative offerings that NewSpace companies bring to the space industry, one of them is constellations of thermal instruments. Thermal infrared (TIR) imagers are inherently more challenging to calibrate and geolocate than visible and near-infrared (VNIR) instruments due to: • their lower spatial resolution • higher sensor noise levels and, • scarcity of stable…
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Lessons Learned from UPAEP’s AzTechSat-1 and Gxiba-1 Nanosatellites
This paper presents lessons learned during the development of the AzTechSat-1 nanosatellite (rule-based and driven by NASA methods) and the Gxiba-1 nanosatellite (documentation-driven and demonstration-oriented), both of which were influenced by NASA’s mission culture and JAXA’s Japanese methodology. Both missions are grounded in systems engineering (traceable requirements, subsystem decomposition, and controlled integration). Quality gates, including…
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Low SWaP Flight Board for High-Speed On-Board Data Handling, Processing and AI Inference
The continuous increase in payload data volume and mission autonomy requirements is driving the need for increasingly advanced on-board data handling and processing technologies in satellite systems. In particular, next-generation Earth observation, telecommunications, and distributed space architectures require high-performance processing capabilities to enable real-time data reduction, intelligent decision-making, and efficient use of downlink resources. Within…