Paper Category: Missions
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BOREALIS: Phase-B Results of a Dual-Orbit 6U CubeSat for In-Orbit Biofilm Radiation Experiments
BOREALIS (Biofilm Onboard Radiation Exposure Assessment Lab In Space) is a 6U CubeSat mission developed under the Italian Space Agency (ASI) ALCOR program, aimed at enabling controlled biological experimentation across multiple radiation environments in space. The mission adopts an innovative dual-phase orbital concept, performing biofilm exposure experiments first in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) and subsequently…
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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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Ensuring Orbital Safety from T-0: The Critical Imperative for Immediate Post-Launch Collision Avoidance
As the density of the Low Earth Orbit (LEO) environment increases, driven by frequent rideshare missions and the deployment of mega-constellations, the initial phase of satellite operations has emerged as a period of heightened orbital risk. Historically, collision avoidance (COLA) processes have relied on established tracking by Space Situational Awareness (SSA) providers. However, this study…
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Robust Trajectory Optimization and Control for Autonomous Small Satellite Terminal Proximity Operations under Uncertainty
This research presents a robust guidance and control architecture for SmallSat terminal proximity operations, focusing on the transition from rendezvous to final docking. As autonomous in-space servicing and assembly become mission-critical, GNC systems must maintain centimeter-level accuracy while respecting strict hardware and safety constraints in the presence of state and model uncertainties. The methodology utilizes…
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ESA Scout HydroGNSS Early Mission Results
The ESA Scout HydroGNSS mission, launched in December 2025 will provide measurements of key hydrological climate variables, including soil moisture, freeze–thaw state over permafrost, inundation and wetlands, and above-ground biomass, using a novel technique called Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) reflectometry. According to GCOS there is a shortage of high-quality soil moisture data, a key…
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ALIGN Mission: Radio Intersatellite Link Feasibility Demonstration for Hybrid Free-Space Optical Communications
The ALIGN (Autonomous Laser-based Intersatellite Gigabit Network) mission comprises a pair of 6U CubeSats equipped with FOCUS (Free-space Optical Communications Unit for Space), an experimental payload demonstrating high-data-rate optical intersatellite links in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) and advanced hybrid optical/radio intersatellite communications. Each satellite implements a dual RF-link architecture: the Radio Ground-to-Satellite Link (RGSL) for…
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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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A Data Fusion Framework for Real-Time GNSS Availability Assessment Under Combined Space Weather and Terrestrial Interference
Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) have become critical infrastructure for autonomous platforms across space, maritime, and ground domains. Historically, GNSS accuracy degradation was primarily attributed to natural phenomena—ionospheric disturbances, scintillation, and solar activity. However, modern operational environments increasingly face terrestrial threats including intentional jamming, spoofing, and regional denial zones. Current mission planning tools address these…
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In-Orbit Experimental Validation of Autonomous Operations within the AIX Satellite-as-a-Service Framework
As Low Earth Orbit (LEO) constellations continue to scale, traditional ground-centric operational paradigms struggle to meet increasing demands in latency, flexibility, and operational cost. The AIX (AI-eXpress) mission series addresses these limitations by introducing a service-oriented satellite architecture that enables dynamic in-orbit resource usage and application deployment. This paper presents the in-orbit experimental activities performed…
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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…